


Fangs In The Shadows

by VarCapel



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Crimes & Criminals, Drama, F/M, Gen, Romance, Thriller
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-13
Updated: 2018-09-13
Packaged: 2019-07-11 04:36:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 23,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15964835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VarCapel/pseuds/VarCapel
Summary: An understaffed and overworked police force must pull together to deal with an expert killer they have never encountered before.





	1. Agony

**Author's Note:**

> This was my very first fanfic for Zootopia. I edited every chapter, updating lots of things. I corrected small mistakes and omitted distracting information. I righted the perspectives of the chapters that needed it the most, correcting and strengthening the focus on what matters. It certainly reads a little better. But I also wanted to preserve most of what it was originally. I didn't want to spend a lot of time redoing old work. But I did feel it was important to get it done "right" and fix what bugged me. It is much improved and while some information was removed from some chapters, there has been some text that has taken its place, wherever appropriate.
> 
> Be sure to see my currently active work Power Struggle. Many more chapters coming in October.

In the dying hours of a Sahara Square afternoon, a ragged fox lumbered forward in his den with thoughts frantic in his head. He had just rolled out of bed. The sounds of a marching herd of camels bounced off the walls of his den. A stream of sunlight illuminated the motes that hovered in the hazy air.

"I want mice!" He scratched at a knot of fur on his chest and shook his shoulders. It was still early. At least, it was early to him. He remained in his den until the last hours of sunlight painted the walls of his den a fiery orange.

While waiting, he turned his thoughts to an unpleasant occurrence from several months ago. He remembered feeling a brief sting in the back of his neck and a strange persistent agitation shortly thereafter. The shock of the experience burned itself into his mind. Since then, he no longer groomed himself and jumped at noises he couldn't expect. Was he stung by some bug? But what could explain the voices and visions? No, even before the sting, he was not right. The memory was so long gone now that it felt like he was trying to recall the memories of a stranger. The agony of his paranoia had consumed him. It drove him to extreme behavior.

 _Almost time to hunt_ , he thought. The devouring of prey, a Zootopian taboo. The act of eating a living mammal was such a thrill for this predator. It became a need. He could taste the mice of Rodentia now. But Rodentia was specifically designed to be a safe haven for tiny mammals. It was surrounded by large gates that blocked any animal larger than a rabbit. Only authorized large mammals could enter with the proper papers. A tiny doorway allowed rodents of all kinds to pass through with ease into a neighborhood that was safe and secure.

The trip to Savanna central would be less than an hour long had he traveled by train. But secrecy was vital to his success, so he avoided areas where he could be seen by others. Instead, a foot march sufficed. He exited his den and looked out at the empty road. A lonely car hissed by. The streets that were baked from the noon sun slowly cooled in the absence of sunlight. He stood momentarily still as he listened to the sounds of the night. When his nerves stabilized, he turned left and began his journey.

He followed the evening shadows for as long as they extended across the city and ran through the darkness stimulated by hunger. It thrilled him. The devouring of prey. The old hunt. The savage past of an age bygone pumped the blood in his veins. It was the only thing that silenced his racing thoughts. He often fought to remain conscious of what he was doing. His senses have felt sharper ever since that mysterious bite. It was as if he was being rewarded for his years of hunting and living as a recluse. With such an abundance of stupid, tame prey to pick from in Zootopia, how could he ever grow tired of his hunts?

He was grateful for his black fur, a reliable camouflage at night. He hunted with such an expertise that the act barely lasted longer than a few seconds. Especially when targeting the little ones.

It was some short time after midnight when he reached the gates of Rodentia. His large shadow loomed over the brick walls and metal fence like a black ghost. He silently padded along the walls, looking for an ideal place to skulk. A large square pillar just near the entrance looked like the perfect spot. The shadow cast would cloak him perfectly. He took his position, closed his eyes and curled his lips around his teeth. The routine was so familiar. He hid any part of his body that reflected light and patiently sniffed the air.

His ears perked to the sounds of rough rumbling laughter. Two gophers stumbled towards the tiny entrance to Rodentia. Laughing and savoring the night, they made their clumsy return home. One of the Gopher's paused and stared directly at the fox by the door. But he did not react. He waited to see what the gopher would do. After nearly a minute, the gopher dismissed him as a figment of his imagination and continued onward one clumsy step at a time.

On their first step forward, he held his breath. On their second, he stretched open his maw of daggers. And on their third, his victims were gone. The predator sank back into the shadows and silently stepped away as he crushed their tiny bones between his teeth.


	2. Cold Quiet Dark

The late morning hours in Savanna Central produced an urban symphony composed by the wills and desires of mammals great and small. This wall of sound softened and quieted down as the hours grew late. The streets now glowed white with moonlight. A moonlight that only made the shadows of the night more prominent. The usual nocturnal animals that livened up a typical evening chose to stay inside. Only a cool breeze occupied the streets. Fangmeyer rested a lazy arm out of the window of her parked police car as McHorn entered the station.

Tonight's patrol proved to be exceptionally dull for Fangmeyer. She stood behind to sit in the car and steal a sip of coconut water. Satisfied, she exited the car, careful to securely lock it tight and check it from all sides, as was her habit, and caught up with Delgato and Grizzoli by the entrance of the ZPD. It seems their shifts ended too. She waved and walked with them to turn in for the night. Fangmeyer barely listened to Delgato and Grizzoli discussing the uptick in reports of missing prey.

"Did it seem quiet to you tonight?" Grizzoli asked Fangmeyer.

"No. I didn't catch wind of anything strange. Some nights are just not as busy. Crime has been low, but reports strangely have gone up." Fangmeyer wearily shrugged her shoulders.

"We had it pretty easy this month. Though the number of people going missing is suspicious."

"But going missing doesn't prove a crime," Delgato added. Fangmeyer smiled as the lion struggled to remove his holster.

"Getting a little flab on the sides?" Grizzoli teased.

"Hush, I just need to-" he loosened the strap on his holster enough to widen the loop "-there."

"Easy days make us lazy. I don't like relaxing while in uniform. It makes me feel useless. I'm alright with having more reports coming up. Lets me actually try doing something I was trained for," said Grizzoli. A deep and familiar bellow pulled Fangmeyer's ears straight up.

"Then let's put those paws to work!"

"Chief?" Fangmeyer watched him approach with an urgency that knocked away her grogginess.

"Tomorrow we are going to have a busy day. I just finished going through a nasty file. One that will require the attention of every officer we have. Everyone will be briefed on what we are dealing with. And there will be a guest." The chief's eyes narrowed on the three. Chief Bogo was serious on a normal day, but something had made him feel especially disturbed this evening. The three saluted as they were dismissed.

* * *

Judy Hopps had just finished a late dinner. In an attempt to try something new, she brought home a beet and pepper salad. She enjoyed it enough to consider adding it to her diet regularly. Judy stared down with heavy-lidded eyes at a tower of paperwork on her desk. Paperwork always made her curse her successes at the ZPD. She had been assured by Bogo that she was on the fast track to a promotion.

"They never tell you about the bureaucracy," she muttered. Judy was startled from a half sleep when she heard a knock on her door. "Sweet cheese and crackers!" She shook her head, frustrated that she nearly nodded off while working. Judy left her brown cushioned seat to answer the door.

She hopped onto a small step-stool and peeked through the higher peephole. Nobody that could be seen from this height. She dropped down to check her second peephole. A sleek orange fox waited anxiously by the door. She sighed in relief and opened the door.

"Hi sweety," she said as he entered.

"Judy, have you heard the news?"

"About?" she looked puzzled. Her thoughts were too saturated with the paperwork on her desk.

"Zootopians are on edge again because of all the disappearances."

Judy slumped her shoulders and lowered her head.

"Oh, yes." She has had her fair share of violent encounters over the past year. She survived a train crash, a head-on hit by a ram, a frenzied jaguar and other events that left her bruised, sore and exhausted. She dreaded to think of what all these reports could lead to.

"A new batch of missing mammals, mostly prey, have been turning up. Fears of some kind of predator gone wild," said Judy. Nick rolled his eyes.

"It is always a predator. I remember the Chief mentioning something to me about an uptick in reports, but that was all I got out of him. He did seem more upset than usual." Simultaneously, Nick and Judy's phones started beeping. Judy dashed back to her desk as Nick reached for his phone in his pocket.

"That must be from the ZPD." Nick nodded,

"Yes, it is." Judy checked her phone: "All officers are to report to a mandatory meeting, noon tomorrow." Judy threw Nick a worried look. His ears briefly pressed down on his head.

"Nick, stay here with me tonight," she offered. Between the ominous news and being overworked, it would probably be a good idea to take advantage of the company provided by Nicholas. The news Nick shared with her, and the Chief's text message was all too perfect in their timing.

"Zootopia is cursed," she mumbled.

"I see our Chief has been paying attention to the streets," Nick said. He walked over to Judy's green sofa and sat down with an exaggerated sigh.

"Funny how I just get my own apartment, but I seem to spend more and more time here." Judy walked over to Nick, ignoring her workload. He was such a distraction sometimes.

"You've been doing well for yourself on the straight and narrow. I'll be sure to get you a housewarming gift for your new apartment," Judy teased. Nick grinned,

"The only housewarming gift I want is you in my bedroom with a red bow on your head." They both chuckled. Judy hit him on the arm. "You'd make a great pillow, Fluff." Judy sighed, feeling a little more relaxed.

Nick always knew how to pull all her strings. He knew how to amuse her, annoy her, and make her want to hug him and slap him at the same time. He looked over at her desk full of papers and said, "Still looking to overthrow Bogo as chief one day?"

"Maybe," she smiled. "Years to go for that. Nick, thanks for coming over."

"Come on, supercop," Nick said, trying to cheer her up. "We've gotten through worse together than this surprise meeting by Bogo. So why does this feel so different? Why all of a sudden are we shaking in the night?"

"I'm asking myself the same question." Judy paused and stared at her bed. Then she looked around the room like she was trying to remember where a lost item had gone. "Um..."

"Yes?" Nick asked, noticing her lost in thought.

"Oh, yeah, you can sleep here on the sofa." It was just large enough to fit rabbits and some slightly larger mammals. She figured if he curled up into a fuzzy orange ball, he'd be comfortable enough.

"Eh, it's big enough." Nick rested on his side. Judy went back to her desk to work on finishing up the reports of her last shift: A signature here. A comment there. Another signature.

"I'm glad you showed up," Judy said, as Nick made himself comfortable. He sighed and replied,

"Me too. Goodnight Fluff."

"Hah, you call me, 'Fluff' but your winter coat is growing. You're looking pretty puffy!" She pointed a black pen at him.

"Woe is me, I'm going from sleek and handsome to fluffy and cute. I'm turning into a bunny," Nick tugged on his ears and made a bad impression of a rabbit's face.

"I see I'm influencing everything about you," laughed Judy.

Nick inhaled deeply then said in a soft but weighted voice, "You have no idea, Carrots..."

"Goodnight love," she replied. Judy managed to complete the required majority of her paperwork. It was close to 2 A.M. She barely made it to her own bed with her eyes open and hit the pillow hard.

In an instant, she was standing in a dark city swallowed by a great flame. It grew high until most of the city was burning. Purple clouds boomed overhead as they mixed with the black smoke. Red flashes of lightning, accompanied by the drums of thunder livened up the sky. Blood red rain began to pour down to the streets.

She stood on a sidewalk as the streets flooded with blood. She could only watch and observe the changes happening around her. Mammals walked on by, waving as if bidding a farewell. They hugged her, kissed her on the cheek. There was a strange care-free laughter from them. Some of them wore police uniforms, others wore bunny ears. She turned around and saw in the sky a large black paw with nails as large as cars. It slowly curled its fingers until the nails pointed down onto the streets. It scraped and scratched, clawing and carving the land, upturning the foundation of Zootopia.

Nick gently shook her awake.

"Carrots?" She stirred with a fright, then sat up.

"Oh, I forgot you were here."

"You were whimpering. Come on, let's get breakfast and set up for that meeting." It was morning already.

"Right..." She shook off the slumber then turned to Nick and wrapped her arms around him tight.

"Huh, was it that bad?" he asked, relishing the spark that warmed his blood from the embrace.

"Yes. It was intense." Nick smiled,

"I'd love to just stand here and cuddle but we should go. The bad dream is over."

"Yeah." Judy took one final look at her apartment, then followed Nick outside.


	3. Travel Preparations

To the east of Zootopia on an island with pink sands was the Mammal Intelligence Center. Or for simplicity's sake, the MIC. It was a horseshoe-shaped building that stood two giraffes high. Special Tactics forces and agents that specialized in various fields worked here. A moody gray rabbit pushed himself out from under his desk and stood up from his seat. He paced in his office with frenzied steps that were cushioned by a crimson carpet. Black tiger-like stripes decorated the back of his head and neck. He fiddled with the badge pinned to the jacket of his three-piece suit. It marked him as an Investigative Official.

"Too many disappearances," he mumbled. "Murders..." He had been observing the spike in reports around Zootopia about missing small prey creatures. He thought about the reports until the heat of frustration choked his brain. He hit his sturdy dark brown desk with a fist, "The answer has got to be in front of me!" The rabbits' troubled thoughts were disrupted by the squeaking of his office door. He swiftly straightened his posture and watched as a female chipmunk entered his office.

"Agent Jack, The ZPD is prepared for your arrival. Chief Bogo is setting up the agreed upon meeting for noon, today." She placed a black binder down onto a cushion that rested near the door. Jack didn't mind her casual nature. She was a good assistant and was welcome to get as comfortable as she desired while in his office.

"Thank you, Selene. I can't wait to see them. They need to know what we might be dealing with. Chief Bogo had already sent me four e-mails. He is getting desperate." Selene took a pen from the binder and slipped it into her pants pocket.

"How long have you been in contact with them?"

"Chief Bogo had been exchanging information with me about suspiciously high numbers of missing mammals for the past two weeks. He needs to know that this is a lone actor." Jack shut off his computer and placed the chair back under his desk. He needed a clean workspace so he could comfortably spread out. As soon as any short task was complete, he went right back to organizing his space.

"Sir," the chipmunk began, "how can you be so sure that this is the work of a lone killer?" Jack turned to Selene. The dim white ceiling lights sat on the top of his vision as he enthusiastically spoke about his theory.

"There is an emerging pattern in the witness testimonies I have been studying." He grabbed a file from the top left drawer of his desk. "Here, look. I've circled similar comments made from different mammals across Zootopia." Selene stood beside him, listening with interest. In red ink, several words and phrases were marked: Quick moving shadows, a swiping and snapping noise. All of these words were found in several reports. "I was even given some strands of hair found at a few crime scenes. Whether or not any of the hairs belong to the killer is yet to be determined."

"Why were you given the evidence?" asked Selene. Jack bit his lip and mulled over the question. He knew the answer, but he felt disappointment and shame on behalf of the police department for the reason.

"Because Bogo's budget had been choked off, making it difficult for him to fund studies and extensive investigations." Satisfied with Selene's silent nod of understanding, he continued with his theory, "This has to be the work of a single serial predator. He knows how to stay hidden. He acts fast like he knows exactly where to be and when to strike. And then he's gone." Jack sighed. He walked over to his water cooler and grabbed a cup. "All the faint clues that have been found are pointing to one individual. The descriptions are all too similar to point to more than one actor. The shape and size of this mysterious killer have been consistent with the testimonies. But this is not enough. I am going to need more than noises, shadows, and a pawful of mixed hairs that can't even be analyzed for DNA." Jack hurriedly drank a cup of cold water. He winced as a slow sharp ache crawled up his head. He caught Selene staring at him.

"Jack, are you okay?"

"Ow," - he rubbed his forehead in a circular motion - "yes, I'll be alright." When he recovered, he laughed and said, " Brainfreeze from water. I forget the cooler is too good at its job." He shook his head and picked up his files then zipped them up in his backpack. He was exasperated with this case. Although he was an old hare and knew all the tricks of his trade, he still needed a team. And he had heard some good things about the ZPD since Bellwether was arrested. But the same bigwigs that praised the changes and successes of the ZPD were also responsible for their dwindling resources. Jack turned to Selene. "So, then it is time to get going." Selene nodded in agreement and they began their journey to Zootopia.


	4. Revelation

Chief Bogo hurried outside. A cool breeze conflicted with the fiery light that illuminated a typical Zootopia morning; the sun stabbed his eyes and burned his snout. The Chief had spent all morning preparing to meet with Jack. He agreed to submit temporary control of the ZPD and its resources to the agent while the investigation was ongoing. A small black vehicle arrived followed by two larger ones that flanked it. Two pigs stepped out of the left car. Two sheep stepped out of the right. The four guards, dressed in black suits, scanned the lot with their eyes. Then the sheep opened the doors to the center car. Jack and his assistant Selene stepped out.

"So glad you could make it Sir," Bogo said.

"Chief, I want to thank you for hearing me out. Maybe under better circumstances, we could do lunch?" Jack extended a hand as he approached the eager buffalo.

"It would be an honor." The chief smiled and accepted the agent's paw. He was pleased with Jack's good manners and direct, mature tone. Bogo led the group inside. Some of the officers watched the chief and his guests.

"No way," gasped Clawhauser. "Is that the 'tiger-bunny,' Jack? Oh, I'm giddy!" he squealed, to the annoyance of Grizzoli.

"That top agent hare? For real?" Grizzoli asked.

"Yes. I heard he once flipped a giraffe." Selene overheard the rumor as she trailed behind her party carrying a swollen briefcase and looked at Clawhauser in disbelief.

"If you believe that, you're a fool. Look at the size of him," she pointed to Jack with her free hand. "He is barely two feet tall." Clawhauser sipped his coffee trying to hide his fat face. Delgato burst with laughter.

"Still, I wouldn't want to make an enemy of Jack. If he is here, something serious is going on. Check out that security detail." He pointed to the pigs and sheep that guarded Jack like a twenty-five million dollar diamond.

"He looks super cool though," Francine the elephant added.

Chief Bogo, Selene, and Jack met in Bogo's office for a private meeting while Jack's guards remained posted outside. Bogo made space for his guests and allowed them to get comfortable. Selene handed Jack his briefcase and took a seat in a large corner chair. Jack made his way to Bogo's large desk, hopping up to its surface. Jack began,

"I would like to briefly go over my review of a select few of your officers before I get into my presentation to your team." Bogo snorted, nervous about what it was Jack wished to go over.

"Sure, If you like."

"I see a mix of exceptional talent combined with, to put it bluntly, delinquents on the force."

"Delinquents, Sir?" The Chief raised his brows, feeling defensive.

"Yes. Let's start with Nick Wilde. Though he has helped one of your finer officers, Judy Hopps, stop what could have been a civil war between predator and prey, Nick does have a dirty history. I'm not just talking about tax evasion." Bogo wiped his face anxiously and sighed,

"Oh..."

"It is well known that Nick has had several arrests but few convictions. I am concerned about his behavior and how well he plays on the team." Did Jack think him wrong for hiring Nick? Why pick now to question his judgment? The urge to defend his decision was too strong.

"Nick has been a good cop since he joined. If there is one thing he has shown me, it is that despite his sleazy activities from an immature time, he does his part to uphold his end of any deal. Though he can be rough around the edges, he has proven honest in his work and always follows through."

"I see." Bogo thought he detected a hint of doubt in Jack's response. Regardless, the Chief relaxed his shoulders, finally conscious that he was physically shelling up from the criticism.

"Judy Hopps has been an outstanding addition to the force. I would hope to speak with her myself sometime later."

"That can be arranged easily enough," Bogo huffed. Jack stared out the window into the hallway for a moment. Bogo waited like a soldier at attention, albeit impatiently. He wished Jack would finally talk about the meeting.

"I am going to need some good undercover work. Fangmeyer's file shows she has done this work in the past?"

"Oh, yes she is a good scout."

"I want her paired with Nick. They will be my go-to team for sniffing out information from the public. I have heard that Nick has a way with charm? Have him apply this talent to some appropriate fieldwork. I will work alongside Judy. Chief, you handle the SWAT, excluding Fangmeyer." It sounded like a series of bold decisions. But the hare did his homework. The way Jack was dividing up the force made sense once Bogo thought about the officers under his care. He merely gave a quick nod and said,

"Understood."

"Let's get everyone together for the meeting. It is almost noon now."

The officers of the ZPD flooded the briefing room. Bogo's ears flicked to the noise. He scowled noticing an insufficient supply of chairs for those attending the meeting. Had it really gotten so bad that now they couldn't even afford extra chairs? Casual chatter amongst the officers filled the large space and merged into indistinguishable noise.

Nick and Judy sat together in the back right of the room, behind a lion. Along the lion's right sat Grizzoli and a rhino. Francine and other officers were up front.

Chief Bogo looked at them from his lectern and prepared to brief everyone. From the corner of his eye stood Jack and his chipmunk assistant by the doorway. Bogo grunted as he couldn't remember her name.

"These past few weeks, the streets have been unusually quiet. I'm sure some of us here have felt an uneasiness about town. That is no accident." The room quieted down. He looked around and eyed his officers as if seeking an answer to an unasked question. "We have seen a spike in disappearances recently. These events have been taking place in all districts. In some more than others."

Chief Bogo opened up a large black folder, then pulled down the map of Zootopia marked with hotspots of disappearances. The room burst into low murmurs. There was barely a space on the map unmarked.

"As you can see, most districts, with the exception of the Sahara, is covered with two kinds of marks. The purple dots represent reports of missing mammals. Green dots represent crime scenes where a body was found." He turned his gaze back to the officers as they listened attentively. Their sour expressions were an encouraging sign to Bogo. "I take the seriousness in your faces to mean we are all on the same page. Good. This is unlike the case with Bellwether's deception. The count of the missing or murdered has risen to forty-four. Forty-four In the past three months. A number we have never encountered."

Chief Bogo glanced at Jack. Jack was listening with a fierce expression. What a relief to have him here. Bogo thought that with Jack helping, they could accomplish their goals and capture a suspect.

"A week ago, I had an online meeting with an agent experienced in serial murder. For that is what it appears to be that we are up against. I would like to introduce you to the esteemed Jack Savage." Bogo motioned for Jack to step forward.

Jack swiftly jumped up to the podium and thanked Bogo. He turned to the officers and picked up where Bogo left off,

"Yes. Forty-four murders. If you would all indulge me for a moment, I wish to focus on the case and hold off on a personal introduction. I will, in time, get to each one of you for an individual greet and chat. I first would like to reveal how much I know about this particular case. Here is all the data Bogo has shared with me."

Jack pulled from his inside jacket pocket a notebook, then said, "Oh and fine work by you officers. Indeed, it was because of you all being on the beat that we had gathered this information and picked up just enough pieces to start a case." Bogo supported Jack with the larger documents to present to the officers.

"Here is what we know: forty-four missing in three months. Most reports give vague details. Often they mention hearing a slight noise or some other sound that takes place precisely where we have marked the map. Some say they report seeing a dog-like shadow. In only two areas we have found multiple strands of hair, but they seem to be of many species. We have yet to figure which hairs belong to our attacker. That is if any of the hairs belong to the attacker at all." Jack paused for a moment and sighed.

"Notice that I said 'attacker' and not 'attackers.' While it has been a hard sell, I have finally convinced your chief that this is the work of a lone actor. An expert killer. Now that we have a way to classify these acts of violence, filed under serial murder, we are able to proceed appropriately so we can bring this monster to justice." Francine raised her trunk in the air curiously. Bogo cleared his throat and patiently rumbled,

"What is it, Francine?"

"Why don't we check the hair for DNA?" Bogo saw Jack's muzzle stretch into a curious smile.

"We cannot analyze the hair samples under a microscope to determine the species of the attacker because there is insufficient DNA in loose hairs. A more reliable test would come from body fluids; blood, saliva, other fluids." He suddenly stopped speaking and looked around the room. "Such diversity," he said.

There were bears, wolves, rabbits, otters, bulls, rhinos and a few other species present at the meeting.

"Wolf-like shadow," he mumbled. The room of officers remained at attention. An idea suddenly sprouted as he surveyed the room, "I have a request to make if you would all be so kind. I will point out some of you, and I want you to come up to the front to me." Bogo watched as Jack looked at the different hairs pinned under a glass cover in his black case. "Since DNA analysis is out of the question, how about plain old mixing and matching?"

There were black, brown, and yellow hairs in Jack's case.

He looked over the strands carefully then ruled out the hairs he was able to identify through sight alone. He lingered on a set of brown and black hairs, scrutinizing them seriously. After ruling out officers with fur that did not match the colors directly - or lacked hair completely - he pointed out possible subjects and requested they come to the front.

"To determine what possible species this predator may be, I am going to test these strands of hair against my acting subjects here." Selene took the brown hairs handed to her by Jack. She tried the grizzly bear. No match. Then an otter cop. Yes, there was a match for the brown hairs, but he knew from one file that the otter was one of the many victims. "Thank you, Officer Oats, you may return to your seat. These hairs belong to a victim. So I will try the other hairs." The otter nodded and took a few steps back, but he remained standing to watch.

Jack then looked at the black hairs. "Wolf or dog-like...large..." he muttered again. "Fangmeyer, though your fur is white I would like to try something."

The officers in their seats edged closer to get a better view. Jack placed the black hairs on her outstretched arm. No. The hairs in his paw were too thin and straight. To Bogo watching from behind him, the length looked just about right. Jack continued to follow the trail, believing it may well be the work of a canine predator of some kind. Nick and Judy entered Bogo's field of vision while he oversaw the impromptu detective work. They curiously walked closer to the front of the room. Jack jerked his head up and stared at the fox.

"Nick..." Jack jumped off the podium. "Come closer please." Nick looked around nervously, then headed up to Jack. "I need your tail."

"Um, sure." Nick flicked his tail up. Jack grabbed it with a shaky paw then began placing the black hairs on Nick's tail. They blended in with the brown ring of fur on Nick's tail tip near perfectly. Some of the officers held in a gasp. "The width of these hairs, the length, it all fits except for the color." Jack, proud of his discovery exclaimed, "I believe these hairs belong to a black fox!"

"What? Now hold on a second," Nick protested. Bogo tried to give him a warning glare.

"Nick, no. It's alright," Judy whispered.

"No, it isn't. This will blow back against me and other foxes."

"It doesn't have to," Judy replied. Chief Bogo, impressed by Jack's quick thinking, stepped up,

"I demand silence and courtesy while our guest agent is speaking," he snorted. The other officers fell silent. Nick breathed an angry sigh.

"If it is indeed a black fox, it would explain the canine-like description of the shadows at night. It explains the perfect match for hair. The pieces do seem to be falling together here," said Jack. "There aren't many black foxes in zootopia so this one would be easy to recognize should we see him. And these hairs would blend so perfectly with your tail, Nick, were it not for the difference in color."

"There aren't any black foxes..." Nick replied, forcing a shameless defense of his species. "You're sure it wasn't from a badger? They can be pretty strong."

Jack shook his head, "No. Badgers have larger claws than you foxes. And reports describe a canine-like figure. Our best theory is that of a black fox." Nick sighed, unable to compete with the logic.

"Yes...Sir." Jack returned to the podium then said,

"I have held you up long enough. You all have work to do, and I need to finalize some details for you all while I am present. This information will be beneficial. Please return tomorrow for new pairings and shift assignments. Bogo and I will be checking up some final details on how to proceed with this case. Expect some post changes while I am in command. This is only a temporary change until this case is solved. Be here 8 A.M. sharp tomorrow! Now head to your current posts and perform your duties. I will be in touch all day." The officers walked out of the meeting. Those currently on the job quickly took their posts on the streets. Judy left Nick to start her day, promising to pick him up later.

"Mr. Savage, Sir." Chief Bogo looked down at the rabbit. "We'll pick up the details again late afternoon." Jack looked up at Bogo patiently,

"Yes, Chief. May I have a word with Nicholas?" Bogo tilted his head curiously then glanced at Nick. He looked at his Chief with a hint of sadness. Jack didn't have to ask permission. He was already granted use of his entire department, including the officers. But Bogo appreciated the polite patience Jack exhibited.

"Of course. My officers are at your command." Jack smiled gratefully. Bogo turned to Nick, "Nick, please do not give our guest a hard time."

"I promise I won't eat him," said a bitter Nick. Jack turned to the angry fox,

"Nick, let's go to the cafeteria. I want to discuss your emotional discomfort with my theory. And some other topics if we can."

"All business through and through. You truly are professional," Nick hissed.

* * *

They walked up the hall to the new cafeteria that stuck out one side of the ZPD like a large rectangle and took a seat together. A fresh pot of tea was always stocked on various tables. The cafeteria was sparsely populated at this time. Most of the officers were out. But two suspects in cuffs that were brought in to the station for processing could be heard making a ruckus just outside.

"Nick, I want to be able to work with all of you. I know of your past and what you have overcome. I believe in what you can do. And Chief Bogo supports you. But if this is going to be too much for you, I cannot force you to participate." Nick rolled his eyes.

"So you know my favorite food and what music I like. I have to do my job regardless of how I feel. I just didn't expect your theory. Do you read thoughts as well?" Nick sniped then quickly put up that fake smile he perfected as a hustler.

"Nick," Jack sighed, "lose the sarcasm for a moment. If you feel this job won't be right for you, take a few days off, on me. But it would be a shame to not have you here." Jack poured a cup of tea. "I have plans for your specific skill set." Jack smiled then added, "I can only read thoughts if I need to. With my experience, you learn to...do things."

Begrudgingly, Nick smiled. Why do rabbits always get the upper hand on him in wits? "I don't want time off. I just want to get over all of this already." Nick looked out the window, observing the brightness outside. He thought about joining Judy on their patrol. "Judy wouldn't let me skip out on this anyway."

"Is that so?" Jack asked. His curiosity peaked. Nick rested his head in his paws as he leaned forward with his elbows on the table.

"We always do things together. But she is the go-getter. Only now she takes me everywhere she goes. At first, I was annoyed with her, but she has a way of getting to you." Nick sighed nostalgically. He looked at Jack who continued to listen intently. His eyes scanned every body movement and gesture made by Nick. The scrutiny was intimidating. Like he was undergoing some sort of secret examination by Jack.

"For every witty jab I threw at her, she bounced back and returned the favor. Every hit, every push back and every denial only made her flame burn brighter. Not only did she prove herself worthy of being a police officer, she got me, an ex-street hustler wearing the uniform now! Judy is...something else."

"Do you love her?" Jack did not miss a beat asking the question. And at about the same speed, Nick responded,

"Yes." Nick gasped. Damn. He let it slip. "I mean, um..." He fumbled for an excuse to avoid going further on the topic. Finding none, he rested his head on the table in the crook of his arms, abashed.

"I don't care, Nick." Jack laughed. "I'm only interested in the team I work with and how you think because I want to know how to bond with you guys. I have no intention of making your job any more difficult because of your love interest." Jack turned back to the important subject at hand, "Work with me, son and we will be victorious, I promise you."

"We don't even have a solid body to call a suspect," Nick said, still resting his head in his arms. "Don't make promises when chasing a ghost." He finally picked up his head.

"I don't believe in ghosts." Jack retorted and gave a confident smile. They sat in silence for a moment. Nick fought back the thoughts of his accidental confession and his worry about the discrimination against foxes. He took out his fears of bias on Jack unfairly. But how could Jack understand? He wasn't a fox. He didn't have to live with years of being seen as suspicious or dangerous.

"Agent Jack, Sir, I do apologize. I want to work with you. I was having bad memories. Let's work on getting our guy. Whoever he is. Whatever he is."

Jack was delighted by his response and said, "It will be a good hunt. Thank you for the time, Nick. And I'd love to meet Judy sometime later. You speak highly of her and her file shines above the others." Nick smiled with pride.

"That's my Judy..."


	5. Ghost

Late in the afternoon, families who have been victim to the serial predator jammed the lines of the ZPD demanding updates on the whereabouts of their lost loved ones. Clawhauser had put more than one family on hold and was frantically trying to manage several conversations at one time. His eyes froze on the sight of a female goat walking into the police station. She had short, rounded horns and light brown fur. She wore a gray knee-length dress and strutted around with a camera crew. A reporter?

"It's getting out of control," Clawhauser moaned as she approached him.

"Hi, my name is Tabitha Hornhollow. I am with ZNN and was wondering if you could help comment on why the ZPD has been failing to solve numerous missing cases that have been cropping up recently?"

"Um..." Clawhauser fumbled for a response. A mother sheep was yelling at him on the phone. "I am in the middle of an important phone call," he replied, trying to deflect the reporter away. To his horror, Tabitha ignored him.

"According to my stats, the ZPD once had a great track record of solving missing mammal cases. But these past two months have led to a serious downtrend." She pointed to a newly printed chart in her hand. "Your station has gone from solving 85% of missing cases, to solving only 15%. That is a shocking drop."

"We will not be taking any questions. You are free to show yourself out," said Chief Bogo, rushing to the front. His hooves clacked loudly as he stomped forward.

"Chief Bogo, Sir!" Tabitha excitedly approached.

"No, 'Chief Bogo' nothing. Leave the station at once. You will not receive any comments on a currently ongoing investigation!" Clawhauser sighed with relief as he watched Bogo use his large body to steer Tabitha and her camera crew toward the door.

"Very well," Tabitha acquiesced to the aggressive buffalo and exited the station. Clawhauser lowered the phone, letting his body deflate with the loss of tension.

"Thanks, Chief." He looked at the blinking lights on his phone then gasped, "The calls!"

"Clawhauser, just keep doing what you are doing. This will get more painful before it gets better." The Chief continued to eye the entrance as he watched the journalist exit the station. Clawhauser did not hear him. He was too focused on trying to respond to the many distressed calls and free up the lines. Bogo grunted at the vibrating in his pocket and reached for his phone.

"Chief Bogo, please come to the City Security Center by the Mayor's office. And bring officers Hopps, Wilde and any others you can fit in this room. – Jack"

* * *

Jack stood by Selene, ignoring her noises of disgust. He gazed with intensity at the videos before him. The light from multiple screens in the room jabbed at his eyes. He took deep slow breaths, confused by the sensations of disgust and excitement rising in him. He used this meditative practice to center himself. He sorely needed it. Not only had he been right in his theory, which he planned to reveal to the arriving party of officers, but he had the subject on screen, caught in the act. Sometimes he hated when he was right. And as he looked into the pained eyes of the terrified victim as his head was nearly torn off by a black claw, he muttered a promise to himself,

"No more...' The door behind them clicked open. A pig entered to speak to Jack.

"Sir, they are here." Jack waved them inside. The pig nodded then exited the room. Delgato and Fangmeyer were first to enter, followed by Chief Bogo, Judy, then Nick.

"Good, you are here." He pointed at the screens in front of them. "The footage you all see is from just nine days ago." He looked at Judy and couldn't resist a big smile. Jack was proud to see a bunny cop. She looked so distinguished in her uniform. Chief Bogo did a formal introduction,

"Agent Jack, I present to you, Officer Judy Hopps." He took two excited steps toward her.

"Wonderful. Officer Hopps, it is a pleasure to meet you." Jack's smile was frozen in place.

"Oh, likewise Agent Jack," Judy replied with a curious excitement. Jack cleared his throat, returning his focus to the footage.

"I want to draw your attention to our show for the day."

Jack pointed toward the screens. The officers looked at the videos, at first not noticing anything interesting. Then one screen changed to a different street in the Rainforest District. A lone sheep was in the middle of being attacked. It showed the sheep being swiped by a paw with sharp claws. His head twisted unnaturally to the right from the force of the impact. A faint streak of blood could be seen spraying out from the impact site. The sheep fell down and was suddenly hauled up and carried away. The figure caught on screen had black fur, tangled and uncared for. Knots and bald patches covered his body. His snout was narrow and long. His ears were back, but in the light, the species was recognizable. Their suspect was a fox. A black fox.

"Judy..." Nick looked at Judy sorrowfully. She was repulsed by the footage but observed it attentively while clutching Nick's right paw. A look of seriousness crossed her face. Was this really the one responsible for all the fear in the city? Could one mammal really cause so much terror? Rip apart so many lives in such a short time? Jack glanced at the officers and noticed Nick and Judy holding hands. He looked away and hid a smile.

"Our suspect is indeed a fox. And an unusually tall one. This unique target is extremely dangerous. Not just because of his propensity for violence, but because he is an intelligent and skilled hunter. But everyone makes mistakes. Let us be sure that him being caught on camera engaging in such cruelty is that fatal mistake."

The officers looked at Jack. The rabbit noticed Delgato first. He looked like a deer in headlights. Fangmeyer grimaced when the attack was replayed. Satisfied that they were at least paying attention, Jack continued,

"I want to show you how much we could understand about our target from this footage." Jack clicked through the footage on the computer. He skipped through the files which he had organized to reveal a timeline of the foxes movement.

"Notice that all footage takes place at night. The testimonies we received all point to these activities happening at night. And they all report seeing nothing but a shadow. Everything fits. This, and the murder caught on camera is all that we need to pursue our target without restraint. Notice the darkness in these videos."

As the officers watched, they struggled to see anything. The footage itself was already poor, being in a grainy tinted green. But as the seconds rolled on, they noticed little bits of a figure as it broke through the border of the shadows whenever it moved toward a brighter spot on the screen. Then it would sink again as if the shadows themselves were breathing. Pulsing.

"He never steps out of the dark..." Judy observed.

"Right," Jack answered. "He follows the shadow like a train on rails. He only reaches into the light to attack. He never leaves the shadow and rarely sits still. He acts fast, as you saw with the poor victim. And then he leaves. In murders involving larger prey, like the sheep, we end up finding a half-eaten body. Three were found in the past thirty days. Including the sheep." Chief Bogo asked,

"Why haven't we found his location from this footage? Can we locate where he is hiding?"

"Good question. See, this fox avoids populated areas," Jack turned to the officers. He stood closest to the screens as the others remained by the door. "He especially avoids transit sites of any kind. We believe that he is traveling solely on foot. And this is the only evidence we have of him on camera."

"That's wild," said Delgato.

"He must be walking for hours to get from district to district," Fangmeyer added.

"Yes. We believe that to conserve energy on his long trips, he must be taking shelter somewhere in the dark on his trails. He picks a spot to rest, then continues on. If we can find something, a campsite. Or anything else that may point to someone being in these odd spots, we might be on to something. But now it is just a theory."

"How should we proceed?" Bogo asked.

Jack lowered his head in thought, "I am not sure just yet. I will get back to you all ASAP. If we go in blind and start blundering about in the darkness, we would waste time and resources. And doing these sweeps in broad daylight might draw too much attention. Discretion will be key to gaining the upper hand. So I would request that we all vow to be silent about what we have seen here today."

"Understood," Bogo replied as he looked around the room. The officers present were all in agreement.

Nick turned to Judy and growled, "I am going to the shooting range." He swiftly walked out of the room. Judy motioned to reach out and grab him when he turned, but she missed and deflated with a sigh. She turned to Jack,

"He's a little upset." The room was quiet. The footage had been paused at the moment the fox stepped into the light. The Chief looked hard at their target and said,

"Agent Savage, inform me when we have full clearance for an all-out pursuit of our target. We can discuss this further later."

"Indeed," Jack replied. Chief Bogo left the room and took Fangmeyer and Delgato with him.

Selene, quiet up to this point spoke up,

"S-sir...?" Jack blinked. Her timid voice drew his attention to her. He put some effort into turning an affectionate gaze her way and said, "Yes Selene?"

"Why, before they all arrived were you repeatedly looping the footage of the murder?" Jack took a breath, he slowly paced away from Selene, occasionally glancing a look towards her and Judy. It was a loaded question that demanded care in his response.

"I want to see the real evil I am up against. I want to know without leaving any room to the imagination, the reality of what it is I am facing." Before he knew it, the

words slipped out of him before his brain could catch up. It was as if the reasons themselves was etched into his DNA. "I want to see the victim and all his or her suffering, to tell me what it is I must do to prevent such horror from happening again. To see this evil is to remind me of why I do my job. It is my motivation to keep fighting back against such cruelty. It is my responsibility. It is my job, my duty."

Judy's ears drooped back, her eyes widened and her pulse quickened listening to him speak. She slowly asked,

"Does it ever scare you?"

"Not much. Not like it used to." Jack said. "I learned fairly quickly that to fear the monster is to let the monster win." For the second time today, Judy was tongue-tied. She stumbled over a response to Jack. He patiently waited for her to organize her thoughts, but she quit trying to respond.  
Jack turned his attention to her uniform. There was nothing particularly special about it. It was just the standard uniform for an officer. But didn't she deserve better?

"Um, y-yes?" Judy stared back Jack, feeling slightly self-conscious.

"Judy, I am old. But you are still strong and young. You will have many physically intense days and I hear the ZPD has been struggling with affording quality equipment for its officers. I would think it shameful to see you going head-on into conflict being ill armored. I have something to offer. It will fit you perfectly."

"Oh!" She exclaimed. "Why, thank you." Jack turned to his assistant, "Selene, please return to the MIC for me tomorrow. You know where my old equipment is. I'll make a call to Frank to allow you access to the lockers."

"I will see to it tomorrow morning, sir."

"Good girl." He reached into his pocket for a key-chain and pulled off a dark green square key and handed it to Selene. She exited the room, glad to be free from the disgusting footage on pause.

"Oh, Judy?"

"Yes, Jack?"

"How are you with a gun?"

"Um, Nick is a much better shot than I am. And he is taller, so-"

"-Good," he interjected. "You should go to him. I am a bit worried. I saw him clutching your hand and how angry he was. He cares and relies on you for a lot of things." Judy shied away and turned her head.

"Nick puts up this defense of bitter sarcasm, but he is quite thin-skinned and gentle."

"Do his feelings burden you?" Jack asked. Judy's ears jumped at the question,

"Oh, no. That's my fox!" she said with a smile. "He's my partner. My best friend. His jokes get tiresome sometimes, but I love him." What a wonderful thing to hear her say. Jack smiled, feeding on the warmth she undoubtedly felt when she spoke of Nick. It would be a shame to not encourage their love.

"Stay close to each other. Whatever it is you two have, it's precious. Hold on to it. Especially now."

"Uh, yes Sir," Judy said. Jack laughed and put his hands in his pockets.

"Yes, treat it like an order. I order you to love each other. Let's get out of here."

"Sure."


	6. Blue Blood

Nick sat in the bullpen, feeling distant. His mind was busy trying to make sense of the black fox from the security footage. A hideous sight, to say the least. He regretted his past outburst with Jack. Anxiety often clouded his judgment. Jack had been patient and fair with him. Nick couldn't begrudge him for it. He listened as Jack gave his first set of official orders after being given the reins by Bogo.

"We will be sweeping Zootopia's districts for information, concentrating on the hot spots where reports have been most common. We already have an idea of the kinds of areas he hits. So let's take advantage of what we know and question anyone we can in these areas." Nick consciously straightened up in his seat when Jack looked at him,

"I want you and Fangmeyer to canvass the outskirts of the Rainforest District. Interview residents there." He nodded and gave the intense looking rabbit a salute in his seat. "Chief Bogo, I want you preparing members of SWAT with practice drills." After months of seeing Chief Bogo do the barking and ordering around, it was an odd site for Nick, to see the large buffalo taking commands from a small rabbit. He tilted his head bemused as Bogo snorted and tersely said,

"Yes."

"Oh, I have good news! Thanks to the video footage of the crimes I presented to your Mayor, we have been given the green light to pursue the fox using any means necessary. The hunt is on." The officers erupted into cheers and applause. Even Nick's trepidation took a backseat to a brief smile of excitement.

Before the meeting concluded, the Chief stepped up to speak. He grew solemn as he addressed his officers.

"Unfortunately I have some not so good news to share. I would like to let you all know that a reporter has been snooping around. Somehow, in just a day from where very few officers were present for a meeting regarding our target, the now confirmed black fox. This information has been magically picked up by ZNN. As I speak, the news is being aired on television. When I step outside, I will have to make unprepared comments to a bunch of rabid reporters clamoring for information. I will not let this carelessness go unchecked. Whoever let this information leak to the general public will face consequences!"

A room that was just a moment ago full of cheering officers, burst into groans of disappointment. Nick remained silent as stone. He first turned to look at Judy. Judy looked horrified. A low whimper tugged Nick's ears. He noticed that Delgato trembled violently. The Chief turned his gaze to Delgato, causing him to look away in his moment of panic. A tear ran down his cheek. Did he speak too loudly in a public place about what he had seen? Did he unintentionally spread the news? That careless lion. Could he have cost them leverage over their suspect? Will the fox double down on staying low? Delgato tripped as he rushed out of the room, scrambling for a bathroom to keep from wetting himself. The Chief looked at Jack as he shook his head in disappointment and shrugged,

"We may have found our loose lips."

* * *

Fangmeyer drove north up Savanna Central to the Southeastern border of the Rainforest District. An artificial fog enshrouded their vehicle. Nick opened a window, letting in some of the moisture and peeked his head out while music softly played from headphones. A classical tune. An oldie. Houses dotted the pathways that gently spiraled up and around enormous trees and vines.

"Hello?" Nick turned his head to his partner and pulled the headphones out of his ears.

"Yes, Wolfie?"

"Geez, listen to me for a second." She raised a paw and let it drop limply on the steering wheel.

"I love this stuff." Nick gestured to his MP3 player.

"Yeah, I can hear it from here. Jerry Vole again," she snickered.

"A lovely voice," Nick defended as he looked at her with mock offense.

"Yes but his singing style is weird. He sounds like a bird underwater."

"That's pretty brutal," Nick chuckled. But he didn't deny Fangmeyer's criticism. They found a place to park their vehicle in the shade of a cluster of trees in a lot down at the base of the forest. Roots like curled legs of petrified giants crossed over each other as they dug into the ground. An artificial road overgrown with moss rolled out before them.

"How many houses do you think we could hit in the next two hours?" Fangmeyer asked.

"The stretch between houses will make it slow going, but I think we could hit just over sixteen or so." Nick and Fangmeyer exited their car and padded up the sloping street.

"So, do you want to do the talking?"

"I might as well. Apparently, my emerald green eyes and jazzy calm voice should make for the perfect weapon of charm, according to our guest agent Jack Savage," Nick said, with a hint of narcissistic pride.

They headed up the mossy path that curled eastward. Nick could feel the weight of the moisture in the air sitting on his fur. When they approached their first house, Fangmeyer stood up front gesturing for Nick to remain a few inches behind. She knocked twice, but there was no response. They waited for a moment longer before Fangmeyer decided to peek around the sides of the house.

"Stay here. I'm bigger and am more trained for the rough stuff. If you hear anything, alert me."

"Roger," Nick replied. He waited as Fangmeyer walked around the sides of the house carefully. The squeaks from her steps made Nick's ears stand straight up. That couldn't be a good sound. The foundation of the house jutted out from the side of the wide vine road like fingers making a cupping gesture. A steep drop protected the rear of the house from any entry by ground. But it also strained the home against the unending pull of gravity. His partner returned from her snooping and said,

"Nothing. Let's move on." The duo searched two more houses up the trail before finally getting an answer.

"Hello?" A raspy voice called from behind a door.

"ZPD. We were just going through the town, asking some questions about an important case. We really would appreciate your-" the voice interjected,

"-You blue blood scum!"

"Scum?" Fangmeyer repeated, outraged at the insult.

"Yeah, you heard me! You hire foxes and only care about your own. I got nothing to say to you. You don't solve problems at all!"

"Sir, we are only here to-" the voice interrupted again,

"-I don't care." Nick slumped his shoulders.

"Fine. Go choke on a mango," he mumbled.

"Tribalist cop trash!" The figure threw a bowl out his window. Fangmeyer ducked.

"Whoa! Nick, let's forget it." She stood up and stepped away from the house scowling. "I don't even want to bother arresting this idiot for that."

"Ignorant hick." Nick snarled as he followed Fangmeyer away from the house.

"Did you hear that nonsense? Upset because they hired a fox."

"Yes," Nick replied, putting up a false calm expression. Now was not the time to be sidetracked by the many faces of bigotry. It helped Nick stuff down his own anxiety hearing Fangmeyer air out their concerns for them.

"And, 'Blue blood scum?' I swear you do your job, you get hated. Don't do your job, you get hated. You mess up on the job, you get hated. There is no winning as a cop."

"Not with some people," said Nick. It was almost cute, the way she complained. Though they were on the hunt for information, Nick was at ease with Fangmeyer. The perks of having a good partner, perhaps.

They continued up the path and passed the final house for their trip. None of the info they had received from the residents proved useful. It was always the same, "I don't know," or, "I didn't hear anything." The road stopped curling eastward just short of where the crime had taken place. It snaked on itself and continued in the opposite direction, going further upward still.

"The sheep was right here," Nick said, looking at the empty streets. He felt his hairs stand on end. Fangmeyer walked up to him and placed a paw on his left shoulder.

"Ah!" He jumped.

"Relax, partner." She smiled at Nick. "We're together. And I'm much bigger than a fox." They looked around the road. Nick tried to imagine possible scenarios. He stared into the darkness just off the road.

"From which direction?" He wondered audibly.

"Stay away from the shadows," Fangmeyer warned. "I'd never sleep again if you get hurt while working with me."

"Aww, you guys are too much sometimes," Nick gushed. He was finally part of a pack. Maybe that was the source of his sudden feeling of security, minus the creepiness of their investigation.

"Our trek here has given us no more knowledge than that camera feed," Fangmeyer said, disappointedly.

"Wait..." Nick looked deeper into the darkness about a quarter mile up to the horizon where the ground dipped down and pulled the light. He noticed a chill and fog creeping up and jogged lightly to the edge.

"Hang on," Fangmeyer said as she raced after him. "What do you see?" Nick pointed to the mist, drawing her attention to the flakes that floated upward from a brutal cold.

"We are at the eastern edge of the Rainforest District bordering Tundratown."

"Go on..."

"Well, the video showed the fox facing away from this direction. He walked in and attacked a sheep on that road," Nick pointed behind him. "The footage doesn't catch him early in the attack but at the end of it. However..." He walked down the slope as they approached the border wall and looked over the edge.

"Watch your step," she cautioned.

"Look. Though it would be dangerous going down, one could certainly climb up this slope."

"That's it!" Fangmeyer finally caught up to his thinking. "So you're saying he snuck through here from Tundratown?"

"Probably. If one were to avoid transportation methods and do the crazy thing and travel on foot, it's possible to get into the Rainforest District from Tundratown if one were so inclined to do a little frosty hiking." Nick retreated from the slope,

smacking a low hanging branch away from him in early celebration of his theory.

"Possible," Fangmeyer replied. "Go, detective Wilde!" She patted him on the back causing him to stumble forward.

"Umf! Why are girls always hitting me?" he whispered. They looked around the area as they walked back to the road before they called it a day.

"There's nothing else here. Let's get back and share this info. We're going to be late."

With a better picture of the habits and lengths that the fox would go through to skulk on his adventures, Nick and Fangmeyer hoped they could predict his next location and get closer to his hideout, if he had one, or catch him on a trail.

"Nick?" Fangmeyer asked, wanting to break the silence as they walked back to their vehicle.

"Yes, wolfy?"

"I admit, I sometimes hate how people see us."

"You mean wolves or predators?" Nick asked.

"No. I mean, as cops. I don't put on my uniform to bully people. I have a job to do. I'm stuck on what that resident said. Calling us, 'tribalist cop trash.' We are trained to uphold the law whether the public understands a law or not."

"Just the vulgar invective of a fool," Nick said. "Don't let it eat at you."

"But there is a sizeable amount of people that feel this way. Some are just more expressive about their dislike of cops than others, but it's there," Fangmeyer said.

"And Some of those people might be law-breaking hooligans themselves. I've seen these people. I've worked with them before I was a cop. I know the thought process. Not everyone who dislikes cops is a potential criminal, but those that are the most agitated by law and authority? You can bet that there might be some suspicious behavior going on when nobody is around. That's not a guarantee but I'd place my chances on a yes for bad behavior versus a no for those kinds of folk." Nick placed a comforting paw on her shoulder.

"Well, I'm proud of my position," said Fangmeyer. "And proud of you for working alongside us," she added. He bumped fists with her.

"May our blood run blue," Nick said with theatrical flair. They finally reached their vehicle and drove back to the station. Nick and Fangmeyer built on his theory of the foxes trek through Tundratown into the rainforest on the drive back, bouncing theories off of each other.


	7. Supplies

Judy met Jack in a diner for some casual conversation. They waited for the other officers to return with news from the different districts. She thought this would be a good opportunity to gain more insight into the mind of Jack. How did he come to be an agent? When did he figure out his life philosophy? How has it warped over time? He was still a recondite character. It was time to satiate her curiosity.

"Agent Jack?" Judy poked at her salad.

"What would you like to ask?" He happily sipped black tea, perhaps as curious about Judy as she was of him. Judy looked around the diner. It was sparsely populated and appeared to be an environment frequented by an older crowd. Now that she had his attention, she lost her starting point. There were so many things to ask, and the number of questions running through her mind overwhelmed her. She picked a question at random, hoping the laws of motion would get things going.

"Why did you suddenly think that I would need some special suit for the ZPD? Why gift this to me?" Jack folded his hands on the table.

"I read through your file. Twice. I was beyond impressed. And I had a conversation with Nick. You are everything that is advertised. I think you are a special officer who deserves the best protection. I want you to have a long career. I want you to be safe. There is a goodness to you that you must continue to spread to others." Judy's cheeks flushed with warmth.

"Do I really deserve this praise?" she wondered. Jack's tone hardened slightly,

"I don't say these things lightly, Judy. Nick told me about how you turned him around. He spoke well of you. I considered that when I thought about your file. Although I read the file first. To quote Nick, 'you are something else.'" He smiled. Judy took a mammoth bite of her salad, trying to resist a stupid grin. But her full cheeks didn't help and only served to make her look like a mischievous child that just stole a mouthful of food without permission. Jack continued, hiding back a smile of his own,

"I am getting old. My body is not how it used to be. I don't draw attention to it, but things like standing for long periods of time makes my bones ache. I can't move like I used to. You remind me of a younger me." The restaurant was entering its peak afternoon hour. The walkways were filling up with busy waiters and waitresses as they hurried to new customers to greet and place them in appropriate seats.

"How did you become an agent?" asked Judy, between sips of warm orange tea.

"I started in the military. After six years of service, I decided I could do more with my brain and applied for a position at the MIC. I was hired after passing their entrance examination. I've been working there for eleven years. On and off I worked with the ZPD. When you joined, I wasn't around. This is my first time back in three years."

"Oh..." Jack's response was more concise than Judy expected. But it was satisfactory to her. Though it did burst the bubble of some of the fantastical stories told of Jack, she thought his history was still one worthy of admiration. A sudden vibration in Jack's pocket drew his attention away from the conversation. He reached for his phone and answered the call,

"Hello? Excellent. We'll rendezvous shortly."

"Good news?"

"Selene is back in the city. Heh, I feel a little guilty having her get all this stuff. When she left for the MIC, I kept calling her and adding more things to the list. I eventually had to get people to help her carry the supplies." They cut their meals after a few more minutes. While they prepared to leave, Judy asked,

"What supplies are you bringing to the ZPD?"

"Well, we aren't going to have a large force, but we will need some equipment." Jack handed Judy a small bag as he tossed out his garbage and corrected the food trays on the counter above the trash can. "I brought us some special espionage equipment; hidden earphones with mics, and special watches. Some armor, fox repellent and Sleeptite model guns with extra tranquilizers."

"It sounds like we're going to war," Judy said, dismayed.

"If we have to. Our quarry has left us no option. These horrors have to stop." Judy emphatically agreed.

* * *

The SWAT team sat together in the briefing room waiting for Jack. They talked about Delgato's suspension.

"Three weeks without pay. That's going to hurt," McHorn said.

"Yeah, especially on a cop's salary. He's going to feel this one for a while," added Oats.

"He shouldn't have blabbed in the streets like that," Francine said.

"Did he really confess to it?" Nick asked as he passed by SWAT.

"Yeah. The silly lion spilled the beans. Probably made our hunt harder."

"Stupid." Francine rolled her eyes.

"All because that reporter got to him. He thought he was going to get in good with Tabitha! Ha ha ha." The chief knocked hard on the podium to gain the rooms attention.

"Alright, everyone. We all have information to share with one another. If you notice, we are a bit short on people power." Nick surveyed the room. Sparsely populated indeed. For one issue or another, several officers were no shows for today. Grizzoli, while helping the local fire department, was knocked unconscious by a falling iron beam and was out of commission for an undetermined amount of time. Delgato had been suspended, and several others found themselves filling in for absent cops who failed to do their jobs adequately. This wasn't how Nick envisioned the police department several months back when he joined. But then again, he was too high on the influence of a special purple-eyed rabbit.

Before Nick knew it, Jack took over for Bogo,

"So, I have spoken with a few of you earlier regarding the intel you obtained from your districts. The best piece of information we got has come from team Fangmeyer and Nick from the edge of the rainforest district. We will have an increased presence in both Tundratown and the Rainforest over the next few days. If there is any sign of suspicious activity, you are to use extreme caution and not act alone. We are a team, and we act as one."

Jack slowly looked around the room He gave each attentive officer a hard but friendly stare. It was the kind of look that a parent would give a reckless child in need of a patient reminder that safety comes first. "Our suspect is extremely dangerous. And we must always be sure that we act within the law. That is our job. Our feelings do not play a role here. I want professionalism from all of you at all times." Jack opened up a large duffel bag.

"I have some gifts to share with you guys. First, the SWAT." As Chief's team came to the front, they were handed high-quality Sleeptite guns and military grade flashlights. He passed around fox repellent to the officers. Nick was hesitant to take one when his group was called next. He grimaced at the weapon but accepted it.

"So long as it's not used on me," he said.

"I have a few select gifts for certain officers here. We will be doing different tasks across the districts. But the team working closest with me will be required to wear some extra items."

Jack handed Judy her armor. The armor was designed to fit rabbits; thin thigh pads were bound by straps. The pads were swollen with some sort of gel. Curiously, Nick poked the pads. They were bouncy to the touch. The abdomen and chest pieces were flexible and stretchy, with the same gel material Inserted in the pads to protect vital organs.

"I used this once. Luckily I did not have to rely on it to save me. But it has been tested and it is effective. The gel paddings should do well against fox claws," he winked.

"It's an honor, Sir," Judy said, gratefully.

"No Judy, the honor is mine. You are supposed to wear it under your police uniform."

Jack called Fangmeyer over to join Nick and Judy.

"You will all have these watches and mics. The mics are incredibly sensitive sound amplifiers. Wear them in your ear like this." He demonstrated how to fit the almond-shaped object into the ear and pointed to the volume control. "With this, you should be able to hear even faint whispers from as far away as seventy-five feet. Be careful with the volume control. You could hurt yourself."

He next demonstrated how to use the watches. "These communication devices have a neat vibrating feature. When you tap the watch, it brings up a screen with certain options. Tap on the wavy icon to send vibrations to the other watches. This is a discreet way to call the attention of your partners without using your voice to tip off any enemies."

"Now that is cool," Judy said.

"You spies and your toys." Nick teased.

"Oh, we have the best toys." Jack chuckled. "Judy once told me that you were a good shot, Nick. Is it true?"

Nick thought about it, discarded a witty comment and plainly said, "Yes. I am pretty decent with my aim."

"Good. I have a plan for our group. For Tundratown."

"What's that?" Fangmeyer asked. She kicked the strap of the black bag away from her feet.

"We are going to try to bait the fox."

"How?" Nick asked.

"Well, he has become predictable enough for me to try something risky. We know that he avoids populated areas. We know he skulks the shadows. We know that he only travels by foot, even if it takes him hours to get to his next destination. So, we will follow his usual trails. Dot our forces along these trails and hopefully catch him on one of his hunts. We can bring him down."

The suggestion was risky. Their forces couldn't cover all that ground with a cohesiveness that would allow for a solid coordinated strike in each location. Not many officers were well suited for ambush tactics. Especially not the larger officers such as Francine. Elephants were terrible for chases. Different animals, different skill sets.

"What would be the best way to draw his attention?" Fangmeyer asked.

"With what we know he likes: Prey. I will be the bait in Tundratown." Nick tilted his head

curiously.

"Are you sure about this?" Fangmeyer asked. Judy was too horrified by the idea to comment. Nick watched her pace in place. She dropped her armor then clumsily attempted to pick it up. Nick quickly grabbed an arm and held onto her. She trembled in his grasp. Slowly she relaxed. He gave her his best handsome smile and cozied up to her.

Jack paused for a moment. A low, audible swoon escaped his muzzle. He shook his head and took a deep breath.

"I believe in my team. I'm sure we can make this work. He will be brought to justice." The Chief's voice trailed in the background as he exited the room to talk with a client.

"I don't like this," Judy finally said.

"Tough," Jack replied. "I'm in charge. This is an order. And you're professionals." He looked at his team. They looked at him and each other solemnly. "I know it's scary. But I believe in you guys. We will have scouts along the trail to alert us of any possible movement. Tomorrow we will do some practice runs together. Now I have to talk to the Chief and SWAT some more. You three are dismissed for the day."

Fangmeyer, Judy, and Nick saluted then signed off.


	8. A Moment

Nick turned on the television to ZNN. A small group of animals protested in the streets. They held signs with pictures of a fox behind a censored logo. Signs that read "Shame on the ZPD" were waved about. A reporter spoke,

"The revelation that the killer roaming free around Zootopia is a fox has citizens in a frenzy. The failure of the ZPD to catch the killer has led to protests." The camera cut to an interview montage with local animals.

"I'm sick of the ZPD. They're lazy and know nothing. I am afraid to let my little sheep outside," said one commenter.

"These officers need to just shoot him dead alr-" A high pitched squeal shot through the apartment as Nick switched off the TV and sighed. He walked to his small kitchen and turned on the faucet to pour himself a glass a water. He had been doing that a lot lately. Nervousness seemed intent on drying him out. He wondered if Judy could tell. He had always had some anxiety. Whenever it spiked he became irritable and snarky. It was common fox behavior to be alone. So whenever his instincts devolved because of battered nerves, he would shell up and find places to have a moment of solitude. Judy snuck up on Nick and leaned on him from behind, hugging his back.

"Nick..."

"Yes, Fluff?" The contact was welcome, but still, he was engaged in a fierce battle with the discomfort brewing within.

"We're going to win this." The faucet squeaked as he shut off the flow of water. The incessant chirping of crickets could be heard through the window from the kitchen.

"Maybe we will," doubted Nick. He turned to face Judy. With thoughts weighing on his mind, he found himself needing to confess something and began, "Judy, I..." but he stopped and avoided her eyes.

"What is it?" She tilted her head curiously. Nick frowned and restlessly but slowly walked around saying,

"A lot of things. I'm worried about Jack. I encountered an angry citizen when I was out with Fangmeyer in the Rainforest District. He complained about cops and foxes. He even threw something at us. I'm a mess right now. I'm just not saying much."

Judy shook her head in disbelief, "What did you do?"

"I brushed it off, but it feels like no matter what, there won't be any real improvement for foxes and other predators. Not even if we wear the uniform. People are so stuck on their ancient prejudices."

"People can change," said Judy. Nick scowled and padded to his closet.

"I've yet to see this happen for real."

"The public always sounds dumb in soundbites." Judy sat back on the couch and spoke over it, watching as he fiddled with the contents of his closet and occasionally glancing at her phone as she texted her parents.

"You shouldn't give up on them. Change won't come overnight. Or even in a year. You didn't give up on yourself after all the hardships you've faced." Nick tossed in a box of tools he had left by its door. He closed the closet then walked back to Judy. He stood behind her and lurched over the couch, casting his shadow over her. He blocked the shadow from his mind because it reminded him of the monster the officers pursued. But the thought was strong still and it tugged at his worries. He gripped the edges of the couch, claws piercing the fabric. When she lifted her head up and bumped his snout with hers, he softened just enough to speak again.

"I was saved by the compassion and determination of one very special" - he gently poked her nose - "love spewing" - another poke, Judy laughed - "one in a billion dumb, but sassy bunny."

"If you think there aren't enough people like me, encourage others to have that 'love spewing compassion.'"

"Doesn't fit my personality," he teased.

"Then we are all doomed," she scoffed.

"I love you, Judy." She hugged him again, sighing with a peace she hadn't felt since the start of the investigation. He rested his head on her shoulder from over the couch. His arms draped over her like two furry rolled up blankets.

"You're my fox. If anyone were to lay a paw on you, I'd drag them to jail in a heartbeat." Nick placed a paw over her head, gently petting her. He kissed the top of her head and let his claws create trails through her fur as he slowly moved from her head down to her neck. She curled her shoulders and shivered.

"It's late."

"Yes, but I'm staying here, with my fox." Nick allowed her to share his bed. She curled up in the center of the bed resting up against him, burying herself in his chest. He surrounded her with his larger body and covered her legs with his tail. She hugged his left arm as they laid facing right. She rubbed her cheek on his arm once then kissed it. Nick rested his chin on her head. He knew with profundity what mattered in this moment. He remained curled around her like a bigger orange ball of fur until she fell asleep. Nick rested his head on one elbow and stared at Judy. Her ears stuck out just under his chin. He gently pulled her cheek and let it slap back into place as he checked to be sure she was asleep. He poked her cheek once. There was no response but for the soft mumble of an unconscious bunny. Satisfied that she had entered dreamland, he snuck out of his bed and grabbed his phone:

"Finnick?" He didn't have to wait long for a reply,

"Hey, Nick."

"I've been crazy busy. But I think if you rush by, I can pick up the gift just outside. Sorry for the silence."

"Sure. Give me forty minutes. You sure about this? Ready to go big huh?"

"Yes. I'm ready. Thanks, buddy. Love ya bro."

"Yeah, yeah." Nick turned to Judy, watching her sleep. He snickered when he heard her lightly snoring. It never failed. No matter what she did, she put a cute spin on everything. Even though she hated being called cute. She turned everyone into a puddle of goo and was doomed to being the cutest bunny in the universe. Well, to Nick, it was better than how he was perceived. Nick peeked out his window impatiently. Forty minutes my ass, he thought. He could see Finnick's rusted orange van pulling up to the street.

"Still driving that old thing? I'm surprised it hasn't died." Nick rushed outside. The fennec fox looked out his van with a smile and sleepily tossed Nick a small black box. Nick jumped and caught it. He ran a finger over the top of the box and marveled at the scaled pattern.

"Good luck, loverboy," Finnick said. He slowly drove away as Nick waved a goodbye. For a second longer, he continued to caress the box like it contained his heart.


	9. Frozen Tears

Four days after Jack first practiced the baiting exercise with his team, a hint from one of his sources on patrol alerted them to a possible path being trotted by the black fox. Luckily for Jack, they were already in Tundratown when the news hit, so their trip to the suspected path was short. Jack ordered his team to scan the area and noticed some items strewn about, discarded and abandoned: A tent and large sandbags that created a circle around it, most likely used to keep snow and moisture out. They found containers stained with blood and strands of hair.

"Right again, Jack," said Nick. With every correct guess, he grew more confident. Jack looked to the east and noticed a transit stop about a quarter mile away. The wide open land and lonely street were deserted. This would have made a good area to trek and keep away from too many eyes. It sounded like a path the fox would take. Making a mental map in his mind, Jack imagined the fox traveling from here up to the rainforest district. He then considered another scenario from the same starting point with the fox heading south instead, toward the desert of Sahara Square. He faced his team and in an urgent but confident tone said,

"Team, while the winds are calm, let's head to a stopping point I have in mind and set up." Fangmeyer clenched her fists, causing her knuckles to pop.

"Lead the way, boss."

They walked in a tight formation to the northeast transit stop Jack eyed earlier. Once they arrived he and the officers huddled together near a frozen shack along a straight road. This was the first northeast transit stop into Tundratown from the Rainforest District. It was still a ways deep into the Tundra which had vast open land for the comfort of penguins and a few other mammals that thrived in the barren wind whipped frozen landscape.

"Alright, my service guard says that a recent stop point made by the fox suggests that he might be heading south-east. He will have to pass this point in order to make his trek. Nick, I need you opposite me. Stay hidden and wait for my signal before you take aim."

"Got it," replied Nick.

"I will tap the watch once to send one vibration to you all. That would mean the fox is in range of our mics." Jack pointed to his ears. "Two taps would mean he is approaching me. On two taps, Nick, raise your weapon in the dark and prepare to shoot. Alert me when you are ready to do so. Wait for him to be just over me."

"Okay."

"Once the dart is in, it would take twenty seconds for the fox to blackout. That is when we can take him in. Judy, Fangmeyer," - their ears twitched as he called their names - "I need you both to flank him from the sides. Stay hidden and keep warm. It is freezing out here."

"Roger," they replied.

"Jump out once you hear Nick fire the shot. Surround but do not engage the fox right away. Let the drug do its job."

"Understood," Judy said.

"It is pretty dark here. Let's get into our spots."

"Be careful," Judy said.

"Don't worry. We'll win," Fangmeyer placed a paw on Judy's shoulder. She blinked at the kind wolf and accepted the comfort of her reassurance.

"I'll radio Bogo to arrive with the vehicle once we have the fox restrained," Judy added.

The team set out to their positions. Jack stood out in the open, dressed in a thick black coat, disguised as a normal civilian. Because of the late hour, transit service had stopped for the night. Fangmeyer hid behind a barrel under a blanket to the right of Jack. Judy curled up under her own blanket to shield her from the wind, pinning one end down with a block of ice. Nick was 60 feet away from Jack. He sat in the darkness behind a broken down vehicle. Far in front of him and past Nick, Jack could see the outline of Tundratown houses. He shook off wandering thoughts and waited patiently. But how long would the wait be? Twenty minutes? An hour?

Not long after the group took their positions, an unfamiliar ragged breathing was picked up by Jack's mic. It sounded like the sickly roar of wind at first, but the cadence of the breath had given it away. This was the sound of something live. Something wicked. And it was heading toward Jack through the wind whipped darkness.

Jack stood just on the edge of the shadows. He tapped his watch once, pretending to look at it. Nick and the others got the signal. Nick peeked out just from behind the vehicle. His breathing was calm. He was driven by nothing more than responsibility and duty. Nick knew that he couldn't fail. Emotions come later, in the privacy of solitude. The only thing that mattered was the success and safety of Jack. The gun slipped from his hand as the cold ate away at the sensation in his fingers. He waited a moment before motioning to pick it up. When he finally retrieved the gun, he brushed the snow off as best he could and resumed focus.

The breathing in Jack's ears grew louder until it was within range of everyone's mics. Jack tapped his watch twice. Nick raised up his arms, gun in hand. Nick watched and waited. He peeked out from his hiding place and peered into the darkness, noticing the heavily dressed figure moving behind Jack. It crept closer. And even closer still, until the faint light from a streetlight glinted off of the animal's claws as it reached out of the shadows in preparation to grab Jack.

"Now," Nick whispered. Jack dived to the ground. Nick fired and through the amplified mic in Jack's ears, distorted winds could not mask the sound of a solid  _clink!_

"No!" The gun jammed. The snow and moisture that trickled into the barrel caused the dart to freeze in place. When Nick pulled the trigger, the hammer hit and cracked the dart. Dread overwhelmed Jack as he heard Nick and the unnatural clink from the gun. A black-furred paw with crooked claws tightly gripped Jack by the back of his neck. He found himself hoisted up into the air with arms tightening around his throat. Fangmeyer and Judy flanked the fox and stopped just a short distance from their target. Nick ran forward, unsure of how to proceed with a frozen gun.

"We have a hostage situation!" Fangmeyer shouted.

"Let him go and get down on your knees!" Judy commanded, with one paw holding the fox repellent on her waist. The challenge was getting close enough to effectively use it.

"Call me the apex predator," The fox said. Jack felt the fox rest his cold seemingly lifeless head atop his own. He grunted and tried to move little to not provoke the fox. It was too early to struggle. He fought his panic and horror and clung to rational thoughts. With frantic speed, he thought up several scenarios and worked through the tangled mess of thoughts as his team attempted to negotiate with the predator.

"Okay," Nick began, "just one fox to another. Please let him go. We don't have to fight, buddy? Look, whatever your problems are, we can help." A hard claw stripped Jack of his repellent and holster. Apex then placed his teeth along the base of Jack's skull.

"Not working!" Fangmeyer said.

"Do as he says," said Jack. He struggled in vain as the much larger fox tightened his grip.

"This is the opposite of helpful, Mr. uh, Apex," said Nick.

"If you kill him, we will be authorized to respond with deadly force," Judy warned.

 _I won't be so easy prey,_  thought Jack.

Apex walked around the officers, then continued south around the town. He continued to use Jack as a deterrent as the team tried to close in on him. "Stop following now or I'll kill him," commanded Apex.

They snaked through the edge of the town in the dark. The snow had picked up and blocked some of the light from the lamps that lit the streets. Everything was white with a slight tint of copper from the lights. Houses were dead in the night. The only animals stirring were the officers and their suspect.

Frustrated, Jack waited for Apex to feel calm and secure. Fangmeyer, Nick, and Judy were not prepared for this standoff. Jack was so secure in his plan that he neglected to focus on hostage crisis. Would any training have helped for this kind of predator? The kind that wants nothing more than what is in front of him? The only real response admitted an all but defeated Jack, was to fight. Fight! Apex created more distance and with every foot, grew more relaxed.

"Do not follow. If you chase, he will die," said Apex. He turned and ran. Now was the time. Jack squirmed violently and slammed his head into the chin of Apex. The fox growled and Jack slipped through his arms. Jack ran forward, away from the group. His only shot was to run toward the town. To turn now would be to run into the arms of the very monster he was supposed to be hunting.

"I can't fail." He made noise in the night, shouting and waving his arms, hoping to draw more attention from anyone in the houses in the distance. But the world was black and indifferent. Its silence was as cold as the tundra. Jack looked back. The fox pounced and just barely missed Jack. He kicked up snow, blasting the fox in the face. With little chance of escaping a larger long-legged and faster killing-machine, Jack had no choice but to stand his ground. As Apex was wiping his eyes, Jack struck, kicking him in the chest. He pounced and began swinging at the foxes head. His body was so numb from the cold that despite feeling as if he was moving with reasonable speed, he could not work up the strength or motor skills to attack effectively. Apex slammed Jack into the frozen ground then wrapped his paws around Jack's neck.

 _You'll have your day,_  he thought. With a hard glare, he stared down the monster. He did not look away as the beast drew their faces closer together as he strangled Jack. A sharp pain pierced his throat as the fox began applying dangerous pressure to his neck. He was hoisted up again and held in the same position as when he was first captured. And soon after, an electric shock that barely lasted a second blasted through his body. A dial tone whine filled his ears and the world before him spun into endless darkness.

* * *

Nick hurried behind Judy and Fangmeyer. The wolf had a good lead ahead of them already. After debating a chase, it was Fangmeyer who forced their decision. Now they pushed through a wall of snow that threatened to swallow up anyone that dared brave its ferocity. The howling wind was unwelcome and unfriendly. But Nick couldn't feel the cold over the stinging shame that warmed the frost from his blood. Judy had already put out a call to Bogo. The news of their failure passed on to their chief. Shame, embarrassment. All of it filled Nick with an anger that sat on an already dormant mountain of stress and anxiety.

"I'll kill him," he muttered.

A voice was heard shrieking through the night, "No!"

"That was Fangmeyer," said Judy. They hurried to catch up with her. A small figure was tossed through the air like a football. The trio of officers caught a glimpse of Jack as he fell with a violent crash on the icy street.

"He didn't break his fall," Judy said, as they ran toward him. Snow piled on his motionless body.

"No, no..." Judy turned Jack over just before he was completely blanketed in snow and noticed the abnormal limpness of his head. She placed a searching paw on his neck.

"His neck is broken. He's not moving! He's dead! Jack is dead!" A hard blast of wind hit the group. Snow muffled her sobs. Tears froze on her face. Nick fell to his knees and hugged both Judy and Jack's body.

"We...we have to go. Let's report this and get out of the storm," Fangmeyer said.

Judy cried herself to sleep on Nick's lap in the back of Bogo's van. Nick, in turn, rested on Fangmeyer who leaned back against the wall of their vehicle. Jack was covered and placed in a resting position under the bench in the back of the van. His small frame censored by the sheet did nothing to help soften the truth. He merely became that symbolic image of a lifeless figure: cloaked in cloth and to be carted away like an expired patient in a hospital. Fangmeyer looked at Nick as he held a paw gently on Judy's head. Nick looked back at the wolf. They were numbed by failure and avoided Bogo's sad gaze.

"I will mobilize a unit to continue pursuing him. We won't let him get away," The chief said, trying to rebuild encouragement amongst his team. But what other options were there now? This devastating loss would shake the ZPD and only embolden other criminals. He could see the headlines already,

"Legendary agent Jack Savage killed by a brutal predator in Zootopia."

"Never stop." The Chief said. "We saw him in the flesh. We know where he hides. He will not escape a second time."

"I want to take a few days off," Nick said. Bogo fought the urge to beg Nick to reconsider.

"F...fine," he said.

"I need to do something other than be a cop for a few days."

"You don't need to explain yourself," the Chief replied.

"Good."


	10. Mourning Lovers

Eight days had passed since the events in Tundratown. Patriotic Zootopians offered their well wishes to the ZPD as they mourned the loss of Jack Savage. Nick had to endure two arguments ever since his decision to take two weeks off of work. The relentless rabbit chipped at his patience. Regardless, they remained close and spent their time together in his home, refusing to grieve alone.

"Are you ready to go?" asked Nick. The dull hardwood floor bemoaned the weight of his steps. Judy fidgeted with a button on her pink shirt.

"Yes." She kept focusing her attention on her shirt. "This is the one free day I have this week. Let's go." Judy stood up and quickly grabbed a pawful of Nick's tail and stroked it while she walked past him. He stiffly stood from the touch, and his tail twitched as a tickle crawled up his back. She let it slip from her grip, enjoying the feel of his soft fur on her paw. He smiled at her and walked to his dresser, intent on grabbing that small black box.

"Did you dream of him again?" Nick asked.

"Oh, every day since he died in front of us," Judy replied.

"The dreams will stop sometime." Nick stuffed the black box into his shirt.

"What's that?" asked Judy. He inhaled a deep and shaky breath. Why did his admission of love have to be so difficult? He supposed it only hurt because he meant it.

"I'll tell you later when we get over there." His heart pounded in his chest.

"You sound nervous," Judy said.

"Just a little." Nick motioned for her to follow as he opened his front door. They traveled to Honor Hall, Zootopia's indoor cemetery for public officials and other service-mammals. It was west-north of Little Rodentia, just bordering the Rainforest District.

"I'm sorry," Judy said as they walked together through the Savanna district.

"What are you apologizing for now?" Nick wondered. He held her hand and squeezed it until he felt his chest bubble with warmth.

"I don't want to fight with you. We've been arguing, and it's not helping any." Judy gazed with somber eyes.

"We can't all be as driven as you Judy," Nick said, trying to be tactful.

"You're right. Sometimes I feel like I burden you. Like there is this competition between us-" Nick interrupted,

"It's all in your head, Love. I'll never be able to keep up with you. But that's okay." Judy sighed,

"Yes. Yes, it is." Nick could feel her tension. Her foul mood made him ache more than he was willing to admit. Judy leaned on Nick's right arm. He turned to her and said,

"Want to hear a joke?"

"Now?" she asked with weak surprise.

"What do you call the crime scene left behind by a bear?" Judy's ears stood up. She went wide-eyed,

"Oh! I think I know this one..." But she could not get the words to fall off her tongue. She slumped her shoulders and said, "Doh, I can't say it. What do you call the crime scene of a bear?"

Nick looked into her eyes with a grin and said, "Grizzly." Judy bit her lips as her cheeks were forced into a smile. She elbowed him and chuckled,

"You're awful."

"A laugh is a laugh, Sweetheart." After several more minutes of walking, they finally approached the gates to Honor Hall.

The cemetery was fortified with marble walls and divided into sections for animals of different sizes. The smaller mammals were buried higher up on the slope of the land. Grass and marble made up a majority of Honor Hall. Large triangular shaped windows were punched into the sides of the walls. They were angled downward to focus sunlight onto the fields where the many mammals were buried. The sculptures and metal frames that snaked through the different sections were shining with a golden glow from the sun's light.

"Here we are," Nick said. "Jack's bones rest here." Judy looked around and marveled at the outer walls of the cemetery.

"This place is quite beautiful." They entered the cemetery and climbed the grassy slope to section R. As the alphabet climbed, the size of the graves shrunk. Larger creatures, like elephants, occupied sections A through D. They walked through the snaking pathway that curved in a square spiral until they reached their section.

Judy winced when she saw the statue: a dark gray bust of Jack stood on a square tablet. The words, "Dedicated service-mammal and symbol of virtue" were etched on the tablet. Nick looked at Jack's grave. His expression hardened,

"A good rabbit discarded like a piece of trash. Just so this self-named Apex could run away. Using his body as a distraction. What an abhorrent creature." Judy scowled and stared at her feet. She shook her head and said,

"I feel like I lost someone who could have taught me so much. Jack lived alone his whole life, didn't he?"

"Yes," Nick replied. He placed a hand on the statue, "He was obsessed with his work and did not get tied down by relationships."

"Tied down?" Judy repeated. There was a hint of disappointment in her voice. She placed her hands on her hips, pondering what that meant.

"Those were his words," Nick said. "I read a book about him. He was interested in other couples and their relationships. I guess because he refused to seek out a mate for himself. He believed in defending the one thing he wouldn't allow himself to have: Love. Closeness with another mammal."

"How sad," Judy thought. She suddenly jolted when remembering her first conversation with Jack. "He did ask me about my relationship with you. We had a brief conversation about you." Judy grabbed Nick's right arm and rested on him.

"All good I hope?" Nick asked, half serious.

"Oh, it was a mixed review," said Judy, inciting laughter in both of them. Nick responded to her closeness by removing his right arm from her embrace and draped it across her shoulders, pressing her closer to his side.

"Figures," Nick sighed.

"Oh, I told him when we talked that you were my fox. And I love you. I meant that," said Judy. Nick briefly chuckled,

"I know how I am. Don't worry. I know how I can be." Behind Jack's grave, Nick eyed a bouquet of multi-colored flowers. There were two purple flowers that caught his attention: One of the purple flowers was wrapped in an orange paper that choked the flower. The other was wrapped in black paper.

He looked at Judy and said, "We talked about you too when we had a candlelit dinner behind your back," he scratched her head affectionately, causing her to curl her shoulders. "You were reviewed as exceptional in all regards," Nick kissed his fingers like he was complimenting a feast.

"Stop," Judy said. Her ears bent to the sides as he rubbed her head.

"Well, in honor of one dead legendary war hero" - Nick reached into his shirt pocket and knelt on one knee - "and in front of our new but gone too soon friend and ally who believed in defending love." He pulled the small black box given to him by Finnick out of his pocket. "I feel it is appropriate to ask this, here and now." He unlocked the box, keeping its contents concealed from her view. Judy turned to face Nick and trembled with anticipation.

"Judith Hopps, you are my hope. You are my light. And I cannot go another day without having an answer." He took a deep slow breath and revealed a ring that rested inside the small box, "Will you marry me?"

"Yes!" she shouted and jumped at him using her strong legs. She hit him harder than she meant to, sending them both falling to the ground. Nick choked when her shoulder slammed into his throat as she wrapped her arms around him.

"Kah! You are way too fierce for a bunny." He rubbed his throat and swallowed in an effort to alleviate the discomfort. Nick pressed his cheek against hers, picking up her tears with his fur. She sobbed into his neck. The warmth of her breath tickled him. He gently let her down and stood up to walk past Jack's grave toward the bouquet of flowers he eyed earlier. Judy followed him after finding the ring in the grass. She wiped her face and sniffled. Nick knelt down to examine the flowers.

"Midnicampum holicithias," Judy said.

"Night howlers for a lost one?" Nick mused.

"Careful. Don't touch them," warned Judy. The purplish-blue flowers were choked by the papers they were wrapped in. Nick carefully grabbed the stem of the one wrapped in black paper and scowled, almost baring his teeth.

"What is it?" Judy asked with concern.

"Savage," Nick softly said. "I was just thinking" - He crushed the dying flower in his paw - "there is more than one way to be a savage."


	11. Angel's Gifts

Chief Bogo crawled to the edge of his bed. His stiff muscles resisted the simplest of movements. It was past six A.M. He was going to be late, but any sense of urgency he felt took a back seat to weariness. After a few false starts, he finally got to his feet. Even a routine workday had become grueling for Bogo. He looked in the mirror and saw an old and tired buffalo hoping for retirement to release him from his duties.

Bogo fought so hard for years to manage a police force that functioned with integrity and efficiency. He now saw this work falling through his fingers like sand. The costs of operation and recent high-profile failures were becoming onerous. The heavy reliance on donations from the public had given the ZPD a new reputation among degenerates and other critics as the "Beggars Police Department."

His phone had been going off with messages since he awoke. He put off checking them until the annoying alert messages became too loud to ignore.

"What's this?" Chief Bogo quickly scanned a message sent to him by his accountant in the ZPD.

"New balance: $300,000!" But these new numbers couldn't be right. His department was deep in the red. The Chief called his accountant to inquire about the new numbers and was assured that the numbers were legit.

"Yes. The attorney that informed me of these numbers was one speaking on behalf of the now deceased Jack Savage, Sir." The Chief thanked his accountant and hung up the phone, choking on a thought. It turns out that Jack had chosen in the event of his death, to spread his wealth to the ZPD and other public and private agencies.

"Even in death, you're trying to make a difference," Bogo said, sighing with gratitude. "You crazy hare. You angel." Another message came from Clawhauser.

"Chief! We maxed out our application submissions. A lot of rabbits are applying. It's going to be the cutest graduating class of new recruits ever!" Clawhauser texted.

"Shut up, Clawhauser," The Chief texted back, adding a silly face emoticon. With the seed of renewed hope drilling its way into his thoughts, the Chief made his way to the station.

Chief Bogo started his workday with what he believed was an out of place feeling of renewal. What was it that he said to Judy and his officers in the van during that night in Tundratown? Oh yes, "Never stop." That's it. So long as you fight, there is a chance. "We will destroy the fear that has gripped Zootopia."

The Chief checked his last message: Officer Judy Hopps.

"Chief, I want to join SWAT." Bogo dropped his arms and sighed. He thought for a moment about denying her request. But he didn't have the heart to argue. If anything, with the right training, she could be a good addition. If she follows instructions.

"Fine. Come in, and we'll set you up," he replied.

Fangmeyer sat alone in a restaurant on her break, in the middle of Savanna Central. She avoided congregating with the other officers in the vicinity. She refused to see a psych for the events in Tundratown and chose to wrestle with her thoughts in solitude. No way I'm going to put up with one of those, she thought.

An elephant waitress clumsily approached, nearly stumbling over her own feet and just missing Fangmeyer's table by inches. The wolf jumped in her seat.

"H-hi. What would you like?" she said with an artificial smile, trying to contain herself as she straightened up.

"Goldfish stew," Fangmeyer said, trying to not yell with surprise.

"You got it!" the waitress replied and bounced away with heavy steps.

"Good grief," Fangmeyer audibly thought. The sight of an elephant skipping in a restaurant was too awkward for her to ignore. "She's going to trip again if she keeps doing that."

Despite the amusing encounter, Fangmeyer's thoughts insisted on wandering. She thought about her fellow officers. Judy's persistence and desire to press on and bury her grief in work annoyed the wolf. But Nick was no better. He put his uniform away for two weeks, leaving her alone. McHorn wasn't much for conversation. Out of options and companions, she kept to herself, finding comfort in not having to place any heavy energy into socializing. But she liked the time she spent with Nick going up to the Rainforest District and his absence annoyed her the most.

"Everybody sucks!" she sighed. She looked out the diner and instantly sat up straight.

"Nick?" A fox wearing police undergarments strolled through the streets. He was wearing skin-tight undergarments. The kind used under a police uniform, to keep muscles tight and responsive. Though Nick did not have on the rest of his gear, she recognized him from a distance. His walk and the clothing gave him away. She ran out of the diner to catch him.

"Hey, officer Wilde!"

"Don't call me that. I'm not in uniform today," he sniped.

"Hey, take it easy. You're still an officer, right?" she asked, nervously. Nick sighed.

"Today, I am not. But yes, I am still an officer," he lowered his head. There was a moment of silence between them. Fangmeyer spoke first,

"I'm already missing you on the team." Nick blinked and quickly asked,

"Can you lend me a ride?"

"Huh? Where are you going? I'm on break right now so-"

"I want to go to Sahara Square now," he interrupted. Fangmeyer looked stunned by the request. She looked at her car and sighed, "I'll see if I can grab my food to go. But what do you want to-"

"Don't ask," he interrupted again. "It would be best if I do not mention anything else. I just need this favor, Wolfie. Please take me to Sahara Square." The desperate edge in Nick's voice alarmed Fangmeyer.

"Look, I think I see what's going on here." Nick glared at her with his sharp green eyes. "What makes you think he is hiding in the Sahara?" she asked.

"I've done some thinking. Planning. My thoughts keep pulling me to Sahara." Fangmeyer nodded, concerned.

"Well, you're a smart fox. But I'm worried. Please don't do this by yourself. Let our officers get him."

"We've seen how well that works," he retorted. Fangmeyer scoffed. She was trying to think of a way to negotiate the issue further when a voice called from behind,

"Excuse me, Officer. Your food is ready."

"Yikes. That fast?" she had forgotten. "Nick, I'll drive you to the Sahara. But if you're going to do this, at least have someone that is willing to back you up."

"I don't want anyone else getting hurt. There is no way Judy would go along with something like this." He shuddered a breath. "If that gun didn't freeze, if I didn't drop it in the snow, I could have..." he tugged on his ears in frustration. "I have to do this. I'm responsible for Jack's death." Fangmeyer waved off the waitress saying,

"I'll be right there." She turned back to Nick and listened as he growled,

"Don't try to stop me."

"Nick, I can't let you do this by yourself. You think I don't know anything about pride or dignity? I'm a wolf! Did you forget I was there too? We share this burden." Her voice cracked. She sighed after an awkward tension and said, "I will go with you."

If Nick could lead her to the black foxes hideout, she could protect Nick from self-destructing by engaging a more combat hardened fox. She would alert the Chief and restrain Nick. The team should arrive just in time to get the fox while she stalled him.

"Thanks, Fang." He sniffled and followed her back to the restaurant where she paid and took her food to go. They walked together to the car, barely speaking a word to each other until Nick finally said, "I proposed to Judy."

"You what!?" Fangmeyer exclaimed, nearly dropping her bag of food. "That's a little weird but good for you!" She shoved him by the shoulder.

"She said yes."


	12. Retribution

The entrance to Sahara Square was unmistakable: Large stone walls curled around the district and enclosed the inhabitants in a bubble of dry heat.

"The Chief is going to chew me up for leaving my post," said Fangmeyer. Nick coughed,

"This air-conditioned car is lovely," he said between breaths. She opened the windows to her car. The open windows allowed a wall of heat to rush in, gifting the canines with sand and dust particles that stimulated their coughing reflexes further.

"You can't win," Fangmeyer said, laughing at their misfortune.

The streets were fairly populated this afternoon. Various residents of the Sahara and visitors from other districts marched through the streets tending to their own personal business. A red brick structure with a white and purple sign caught Nick's attention as Fangmeyer slowly drove through the dusted streets. Before he knew it, the sign had increased in size, and they were pulled over into the parking lot of an ice-cream shop. Fangmeyer deliberately avoided Nick's gaze when he faced her. She abruptly shut off the car.

"Hey, what gives?" asked Nick.

"I can't let you do this, Nick." Fangmeyer placed a guarded hand on the keys of her car. The radio garbled mixed messages from the ZPD. Nick crossed his arms and lowered his head. It was a dumb idea to think he could trust anyone with what he wanted to do.  
Nervousness pinched his voice.  
"You are having second thoughts now? Don't chicken out on me. I need this."

"We all need this to stop," she retorted. "I don't want you getting hurt. I said I would watch your back. But I'm not going to let you put yourself in unnecessary danger." Nick brushed his fingers through the fur on his head. He struggled to keep from visibly shaking with annoyance in front of her. He didn't want her to see just how deep this anxiety had gone. He trembled with a violent desire. An unfamiliar level of hatred. Thoughts strangled by anxiety flooded his mind. If he didn't do this, would Judy end up like Jack? How long before he would be picking up bodies himself because of the failures of the ZPD? These thoughts spiraled in his mind. And that spiral molded into the monster of anxiety he had come to know as Apex.

"Let me go," Nick weakly demanded. "This standoff here in a patrol car is stupid. I refuse to argue with you, sitting on my butt."

"Oh please," scoffed Fangmeyer. "I'm larger than you. What do you expect to do?"

Nick deflated, "Stupid, I'm not suggesting I'm thinking of fighting with you." The sun's light pierced through their car and illuminated its interior. They blinked from the intense light, feeling the weight of heat begin to smother them as they sat idle in the car. The large conspicuous ice cream sign slowly rotated in the distance like a satellite sending invisible waves through the air. It attracted families of camels and other visitors as they walked, drove, or biked toward the shop.

"Enough of this," Fangmeyer sighed. She restarted the engine to her baking car. "I am staying by your side at all times. If we see him, we do this my way. Understood?" Nick faintly smiled at Fangmeyer.

Sorry, Wolfy, he wanted to say. He wanted to tell her to drop him off at a spot of his choosing and just go away. But he knew that unless there was an escape route, he was stuck with her. At least she got him into the desert.

"I love you," he said. She turned her gaze away from the charming fox.

"We're all wounded from this, Nick. Please stay with me." She placed a gentle paw on his head and lightly scratched behind his left ear. A sweet tingling sensation crawled down Nick's spine and squeezed out a choked breath. He forcefully grabbed her with both arms and buried his head in her chest. She embraced him compassionately,

"Alright," Fangmeyer quickly looked beyond the parking lot and down the Sahara. A row of buildings stretched until the hills of the land cut off her view. The canyon was barely visible from their location, but it was a central piece to the Sahara and visible almost anywhere there wasn't a row of tall structures. When Nick released himself and sank back in his seat, sighing with relief, Fangmeyer drove out of the parking lot and sped up the street.

Nick looked around, observing the animals along the sidewalks as they drove by.

"What's on your mind?" Fangmeyer asked.

"I want to question some of the mammals on these streets. We should see if anyone might know something since headquarters had put up signs and other ads for crime tips."

"I hate this part," Fangmeyer sighed. "But you're right. What place do you have in mind?"

"Hmm, let's drive up northeast. Close to the Tundratown border. Seems like a good place to start."

"Oh yeah," Fangmeyer said, discomfort in her voice from the mere mention of Tundratown. They drove up for several more minutes. Nick continued to watch as civilians passed by. There had to be some mammals here he could use for questioning. When they crawled past a skate park, Nick poked Fangmeyer to get her attention. She looked in his direction with mild annoyance.

Perfect...

"How about this funny group?" Nick pointed to a yak and his friends skateboarding next to the park. She pulled to the side and they exited the car. As they approached, one young yak shied away and made an excuse to go home. His friends stood to chat. One yak eagerly waved toward the officers, "Yo! Doggo and fox. What's up?"

Fangmeyer chuckled, "Well, I'm in the area trying to collect some info about a really bad criminal on the loose."

"It ain't one of us is it?" The yak's friends laughed. The conversation was picking up well. Seeing an opening, Nick slowly stepped away from the group, making sure he kept out of Fangmeyer's sight as he took a few steps away. He looked down the nearest street stretching south and mapped the landscape in his head. If his hunch was right, there could only be one direction to go...  
Fangmeyer continued to chat with the group,

"I hope it isn't one of you guys. You aren't misfits as far as I can tell." The kids giggled. "No, listen, I don't know how much news you watch or have heard, but there was this big event that happened a short while ago. And mammals are real jumpy right now.

"Yeah, we know," a young yak in the back spoke up.

"Everyone is looking to get a piece." Feeling encouraged by the reveal, Fangmeyer pried a little further, "So, do you cool guys have any info you think you can share?"

"Not really." The smallest yak scratched his head and looked past Fangmeyer.

"Hey, where did your friend go?"

"Huh?" Fangmeyer looked around and noticed she was standing by herself. She stood straight with alarm,

"Oh no! Did you see the direction he went? Please, it's an emergency!"

"I think he walked right," one yak said and pointed toward a diner. Fangmeyer sighed as she followed the yak's direction and saw a fox tail just disappear through the doors of a restaurant called Sandblast Cafe and Diner.

"Thanks." Fangmeyer hurried to the diner, her heart still pounding out of fears he left her. She opened up the doors and gently walked in.

"Nick?" She observed the inhabitants and noticed a fox. But it was not Nick. Panic stole her breath. She gulped with a dry throat. "No, no not like this, you stupid..." She rushed out of the diner and looked down the long southern street. But there was not a single mammal to be seen. She hurried to her car just in time to hear an announcement. Her radio hissed,

"Attention all officers! SWAT especially. A confirmed anonymous tip has the potential hideout of the black fox along the southeastern border of Sahara Square. Report in immediately to prepare for a raid. All SWAT is to report in at the border between Savanna and Sahara Square immediately."

Fangmeyer knew the routine. The preparation and mobilization would take another half hour. This gave Fangmeyer just enough time to meet up with the Chief, or to continue searching for Nick. She thought about it for a moment longer pacing back and forth, torn between protecting herself and getting lost searching for Nick.

"Ah, forget it!" she stomped her paws and rolled the dice on the chance that Nick would be wrong and not find the fox. She hastily sat in the driver's seat of her car and drove to meet with SWAT.

Nick glanced back twice as he jogged down the Southeastern edge of Sahara Square. He expected Fangmeyer to hustle and chase him down, but when noticing her absence, he relaxed his pace to a brisk walk. It has to be me, he thought. He stuffed back frustrated tears, clinging desperately to the sweet tingling sensation of anger. He was going to need it. He sniffed the air and stiffened his ears. Close...

A warm wind carried scents familiar only to a fellow fox. But the smell was foul, old and sickly. As the scent strengthened, so did the pounding in his chest. Perversely, anxiety had given way to excitement. A thrill.

"In defense of those who lived to protect love." Nick halted by a curved street. The border wall of the desert could be seen. A lonely road stretched before him. Sparse black hairs littered the ground in a trail like an arrow curving directly to the opening of a rock wall. This had to be it. The fox's den.

Nick entered the darkness, lured by the fetid stench of the sleeping monster. He flexed his fingers. A growl rumbled in his chest. He could see the fox in the darkness, sleeping. As his eyes adjusted, the figure became more clear. The fox turned in his sleep and writhed in his bed. A nightmare. Nick hovered over the fox, watching for a second. Then the taller beast opened his eyes and with a fright sat up.

Nick stared into the fox's eyes, just a handbreadth away and said,

"I'm going to kill you." A loud smack echoed through the den. Apex was dazed from the strike. Nick hit him again, claws extended. Thin streaks of blood sprayed from fresh wounds. He yelped and pushed back with

his legs. Nick avoided his kick by moving to the side and hit him on the head again, and again. Apex tried to bite Nick but missed and was rewarded with a kick to the chest. Apex stumbled back, hitting the wall of his den. In a state of panic, he dashed past Nick and headed for the exit. The fading sunlight illuminated the entrance with orange light.

"You can't handle when they fight back, can you?" Nick shouted as he chased him outside. Raw adrenaline muted all thoughts. Nick pounced on his back, sending them both tumbling to the ground. They rolled in the hot sand.

Nick rained blow after blow on the fox's head. He dug his nails into his opponent's neck and tugged, dragging him on the hot streets of Sahara Square. Blood trickled from the wounds and sizzled as they hit the ground. He ignored the yelps and whines of Apex.

Sirens sat on the edge of Nick's hearing but went unacknowledged. Nick guarded against a bite by raising a vertical right elbow that jammed Apex' mouth open and strained his jaw. Nick used his free paw to scratch and punch at his mandible.

Loud violent whacks could be heard as Nick unleashed unrelenting rage with each strike. The third hit removed the jaw from its hinges. Apex let out a high pitched cry and fell back. Nick's right arm was free. He jumped up and pinned down his opponent's shoulders with his knees, trapping him on the hot street.

Nick continued striking with crazed enthusiasm. The fourth hit was for Jack. He looked at his left paw, raised for another strike. He remembered the night he waited for Finnick to bring him the ring. He remembered embracing Judy in his bed and how she hugged that same arm. How she kissed it and held on to it with an undeniable love. The fifth hit was for Judy. The fox trembled violently, unable to use his mouth which grew more bloodied and more disfigured with each strike.

"You'll never eat again!" Nick said. The streets were painted with blood-soaked fur and teeth.

Nick lost count of how many times he struck Apex when a voice bellowed to him from the right,

"That's enough!" It was Bogo. Fangmeyer clasped her arms around Nick and ripped him off of the barely conscious fox. Judy saw the scene and dropped her ears in confused horror.

"Nick, what are you doing?" He froze almost immediately, allowing Fangmeyer to restrain him as blood and fur dripped from his paws.

"This is highly unprofessional, you stupid fox!" Judy shouted angrily.

"I'm-" Nick panted "-I got him at least." He forced a toothy grin. Fangmeyer pulled him up and hugged him from behind scowling. She lowered her head and whispered something in his ear he didn't catch. Nick went limp in her arms. The rush of adrenaline slowly faded. The thrill subsided and gave way to embarrassment.

Nick stared at the other officers, some of whom tried to conceal their enjoyment of the bloody spectacle.

"You know you all wanted it," Nick said, then lowered his head embarrassed by the words that just escaped his muzzle. Judy shook her head,

"Yes and no," she whispered. But he heard the words. Maybe he could tease her about it later. She slowly walked up to him after giving Bogo a worried look. The Chief stared hard at the scene in front of him, analyzing the event and concealing his thoughts.

"Jack said professionalism at all times," Judy loudly proclaimed. Nick remained quiet, finally regaining his composure. The chief approached, pointed to the black fox and shouted,

"Get this scum an ambulance. Then we can take him in after medical treatment." He looked at Nick with a sad expression, "I get it. But you messed up. As sick as it makes me I now have to take you to the station as well."

"I know," Nick replied, defeated.

"Given the mammal you caught, it is very likely that you will either get very little or no punishment at all. But rules are rules. And you're still a cop." The Chief pointed a thick finger at Nick accusingly. Nick looked at the chief with regret.

"Oh, you're giving me the puppy eyes," Bogo said. "Although, I prefer it over your fake smugness. You're a good guy." He turned his attention to Judy. She approached Nick as if she was walking into some sort of ambush.

"Nick, I have never felt so confused about something in my entire life than I do right now. You always find a way to surprise me in both good and bad ways. What am I to do with you? I'm mad that you just made me pity the thing that killed Jack." Nick only shrugged his shoulders, unwilling to speak for fear of saying something outrageous. Judy shook her head then tip-toed up to kiss him on the cheek, "Fine, I'm not that mad."

"S-sorry..." Nick said.

"Well, he deserved it," Judy replied. "I just don't want to see anything happen to my fiance. You better not lose your job. Or quit." She rubbed her brow with one paw and sighed. "Oh and way to steal SWAT's spotlight!" Nick blinked. He had only just noticed Judy wearing a SWAT vest.

"Oh, hey, look at you. Trying for SWAT?" Judy only nodded.

She turned to Bogo, "Chief, let me do the arrest."

"He's all yours," Bogo sighed. Judy turned sad adoring eyes to Nick. She cleared her throat and mustered up her professional police voice. It was a tone and attitude that Nick grew fond of.

"Nick Wilde, you are under arrest. Anything you say can-" her breaths sputtered "-and will be-" she broke into tearful laughter "-used against you in the court of law." She inhaled a deep breath to regain composure and walked him to the car while she completed the reading of his rights.


	13. Coalescence

Two months after the capture of Apex, the ZPD was finally feeling the effects of its recovery from a crumbling reputation and dwindling resources. Judy greeted Delgato at the station. His suspension ended just a month ago, but he has since been taking his work slow, volunteering for desk work when possible. Grizzoli recovered from his wounds and tipped his mug in salute to Judy. It felt good to connect with officers again. The mood among familiar officers was quite positive. And Judy endured a bit of teasing that morning. Several new recruits were present as well, including half a dozen other lagomorphs. With income to spare and a full house, the ZPD stood proudly as the headquarters for law enforcement once more. Nick received a lenient sentence thanks to public pressure and heavy string pulling by Chief Bogo. He spent sixty days in jail for his vigilantism.

Judy unabashedly wrapped her arms around him in the bullpen. Veterans on the force snickered and stared at them. Since Nick let the news leak of his proposal to Judy, the other officers took to hazing them on occasion with romantic monikers when they were together. Nick especially had it worse since his brutal assault on Apex. He had to endure both romantic pet names as well as aggressive ones such as 'Hammer Paw' and 'Vulpine Avenger.' Judy was fond of Hammer Paw.

Nick created some space after the hug and lowered his gaze.

"The fox died," said Judy.  
"When?"  
"During surgery. Complications led to him dying on the operating table. A month ago."

"Oh..." The news created an awkward silence between them. Ever since she first saw Nick in the middle of his assault, she never could work out the entanglement of emotions that were brought up. A bizarre cocktail of horror at the brutality of the scene. Pride in seeing the one mammal she loved unafraid to get dirty enough to do something drastic for those he cared for. Concern for Nick, guilt at seeing another mammal, even a vicious savage predator, being beaten unconscious. All of these emotions swam in her head.

They walked together to their seats and Nick whispered,

"I got what I wanted. I swore I would kill him."  
"I've had enough time to myself to figure that something snapped in you and that ending the black fox was your intent." She clumsily made her way to her seat. She asked in almost a whisper, only half wanting to know the answer,

"How do you feel about it?"

"I don't know," said Nick. "I try to not think about it. I feel too good knowing that I don't have to worry about another series of gruesome murders like that. Hopefully not for a long time. But that isn't the same thing as how I feel about what happened to Apex. I honestly haven't reconciled that with myself." Judy reached out from her seat and held Nick's paw attempting to wordlessly convey that it was over. It was past them now.

The hours flew for Judy. And before she could organize her thoughts, she found herself at lunch, walking with Bogo to a bakery.

"It's strange," Judy began, "how one person can do so much. Both good and bad. And that these actions could be felt by so many."

"This is why it is so important to understand the weight of the choices we make," Bogo replied.

Judy rested her hands on her hips as they entered the parking lot to a bakery called, "Doughtopia." "

I've always put so much thought into what I want. But never enough into how my choices really impact what's around me." Bogo nodded and looked at her,

"Slowing down and considering consequences is a skill you develop with age and experience." He paused at the entrance and reached into his left pocket. A gentle breeze blew past, causing his ears to twitch. He savored the smell of warm doughnuts as he stood by the entrance. The sweet and warm aroma tugged at his nose. Judy noticed the smell and sighed content.

"It is a sobering thing, to know the true impact you can have on others."

"But it is not an easy thing to recognize, Hopps," said Chief Bogo.

"Listen to the buffalo, Judy." Nick walked up to them from behind. They turned and waved.

"I suppose I'll treat the both of you then. Since you've arrived." Chief Bogo looked at Nick and Judy then asked, "What would you two like?" Nick stretched open his mouth with fake surprise,

"The chief buying us doughnuts? Did someone polish your horns, big guy?" He leaned forward with one arm on his hips and pointed at the large buffalo. Judy laughed while Bogo rolled his eyes.

"We'll take two strawberry mint cream donuts," Judy said.

"Very well." As Chief Bogo turned around to enter the shop, Judy barely registered a touch on her hips. When she turned to see if Nick was getting handsy, she saw that her handcuffs were missing from her belt.

"Nick, what are you-" Nick tossed the cuffs up into the air toward Chief Bogo's head "-doing?"

Judy bit her lip as the cuffs landed on Chief Bogo's horns and clicked closed. She scowled at Nick, who appeared to gaze at the Chief, waiting for a response.

The Chief froze and slowly turned around. The cuffs jingled on his horns as they slid down the slope, bumping against his cheek. He slowly slid them off, giving Nick a stoic expression. He gently handed them to Judy and turned around to enter the shop.

"I think I saw him slightly smile," Judy said.

Nick slumped his shoulders,

"That's all I get? No burst of annoyance?" He placed his index fingers to the sides of his heads to imitate horns, "No, 'darn it Wilde' from the buffalo?" Judy jabbed a finger at Nick's ribs causing him to squirm and said,

"Do you live just to get a rise out of people?" Nick smirked and crossed his arms,

"It's been a while, I gotta get my fix somehow. I think headquarters is planning to throw us a party since Fangmeyer told everyone that I proposed to you."

"Should be fun!" said Judy.

Nick smiled at her, "Yes. It will be."


End file.
